NOCTURNE
by GigaBowserG
Summary: A MEGAcrossover mainly anime related. As the story unfolds, we learn of a strange man, Akira, and his past. We are also introduced to countless [anime] characters along the way. Please Read & Review.
1. PROLOGUE

**Brief author's note:**

Thank you very much for dropping by here to read my work.

To summarize this story up, it's virtually a crossover of everything I could think of, ranging from anime to movies. My goal is to entertain you as much as possible.

I don't normally make long chapters because I know how busy most people are, so don't expect anything TOO long from me… from time to time, anyhow. Most chapters will be as long as this one is, and some will stretch quite far down the page. Just saying this for future reference.

This story is quite popular at another place on the 'net that me and some online buddies of mine managed to keep going for a long time, but I've done a LOT of remodeling to the storyline, so neither two are exactly the same. Now please, do go ahead and enjoy… And please note: This is the Prologue. The other chapters look nothing like this, so you can skip this chapter if you wish, but you may want to come back to here sometime in the future... You'll find out why later, but for now... Please... Do read.

**-----**

**PROLOGUE**

It is a chilly fall night. There are three men surrounding an area in the small forest of Tokyo2, examining a body of a young female with long silver hair and wearing a mud-stained navy blue kimono with an ocean blue sash around her waist. One of the men is in a truck nearby talking on the radio, while the other two men in the blanket of darkness are speaking softly…

"…We found her body several miles away from the border between our world and Neo Tokyo."

"What happened to her?"

"We're not sure yet. There will be an autopsy soon. As you can see, there are no visible wounds on her body, and she seemed to have died quickly. She's even smiling! It could have been a poison, but I've never heard of a poison that works that quickly on a human being."

"Who killed her?"

"We're not too sure just yet, but we do have one suspect."

"Does she have any kids?"

"Yeah, she does. Just one."

"Are you sure? She could have more."

"If she did, then we've had no clarification of them. There are no other certificates of any other kids of hers, and just photos of her only child, so she only has one. We've done the research and are one hundred percent sure of it, trust me."

"How are you so sure of this?"

"Her body was found a few hours ago, and we have been looking up information on her as quickly as we could. We have top-notch investigators, believe me."

"What's the child's name?"

"His name… is Akira. Akira Tanaka."

"Akira, eh? Does he have a father?"

"…"

"What is it?"

"…We suspect he was the one that killed her."

"But… Why would he kill her? They were so happy together, so I've heard as well, and there weren't any problems going on between them."

"As I've been told, looks can be very deceiving, and it seems she has been deceived all this time."

"Has the child been taken yet?"

"He has, but some of my men have been saying that they've been having trouble containing him."

"Containing him? What do you mean?"

"He has some freakish powers that we can't seem to control. We're trying our best not to let him loose."

"How old is the kid?"

"He's only about a year and a half old, but he is quite powerful."

"Interesting…"

The man in the truck rushes towards the two men standing next to the dead woman, who lies on the ground almost in the shape of a cross.

"Hey, guys, we have a problem at HQ! They say that the kid has escaped!"

"You mean Akira?"

"Yeah, the kid of this woman!"

"How did he get out?"

"Some people say that he just disappeared from the room he was in! The cameras stopped functioning several minutes before he escaped."

"We have to find him! Who knows where he could go."

"Why do we need him? He's only a child."

"That he is, but he is the child of… you know."

"That's true, very true."

"But you're right. What are the chances he'll survive out in the desert?"

"Yeah, he'd be better off dead. He's just as dangerous as his father. He'll surely die in the desert. If that doesn't kill him, dehydration and disease will!"

"Indeed. Contact HQ and tell them not to bother with the kid. We don't need him."

The man who ran from the truck walks back to it quickly.

"Do you think that's a very wise decision?"

"Of course! Are you doubting me!"

"I didn't say that, sir!"

"Then shut up and keep looking for clues. There's got to be some around…"

"We're going to regret this in a few years, just you wait… We will regret this…"

**_NOCTURNE_**

Author: "GigaBowserG"

"_All that we see or seem is but a dream within a dream." –Edgar Allan Poe_


	2. Ch 01: Enter Akira Tanaka

**_NOCTURNE _**

CHAPTER I (01): Enter Akira Tanaka

Welcome to Imaj, the planet that contains everything created by the human mind, ranging from cartoons, to chalk-made designs, to anime, to even movie characters that have deceased and have been reborn again multiple times. This planet exists at the far corner of the universe, for the planet grows in size every time a new idea is made. It has an uncountable amount of moons (some of the more-known ones are The Moon, K-Pax, Cybertron, and Namek). The planet, so far, is bigger than our sun, and is still growing. There are many Japans on the planet Imaj, as well as many North Americas, Europes, Asias, Africas, South Americas, Antarcticas, Australias, and all the Earth's known oceans, and some unknown seas and islands. Planet Imaj is a total jumble of all of these places, but separated by either vast oceans or great deserts that no one has ever crossed yet… except for one known being.

Enter Akira Tanaka, a young man in his early twenties with emerald-colored eyes and the blackest of hair that anyone has ever seen before. No one knows when or where Akira was born. All they know is that he has had freakishly unstable powers that, just recently, he has managed to hide... and now he wants them back again.  
Ever since he was just a child, Akira has been a loner, traveling everywhere he went alone. He never stopped for help, nor did he stop to stay at someone else's place. He trusted no one and loved nothing.  
Akira travels from place to place with his larger-than-average silver sword, which activates during battles and responds to Akira's feelings. The more rage Akira feels, the more powerful the sword becomes. The weapon has no name and has no known creator. Here's how the story goes: Akira found an unusually powerful sword one day while in a place known as "Hyrule," and he managed to pull the sword from a large block of rock. Shortly after, he faced a green-dressed elf who demanded that he put the sword back. Not wanting to pick a quarrel, Akira did as the elf said, and in great gratitude, the elf told Akira of a place that held a more powerful sword: a sword that no one has ever been able to get because of many challenges you had to face. Akira shrugged his shoulders and didn't mind the tests, for he had been bored for quite some time and needed some excitement. The young elf named Link showed Akira the place (which, by the way, was a large cave given the name "Black Dragon of Death," for there used to be a large charcoal-colored dragon that used to dwell in the cave until it finally died of old age). Akira entered and exited a few days later, unscratched by the many traps, bloodthirsty demons, and huge monsters that lurked in the dungeon. Having being successful, Akira thanked the elf and left Hyrule as quickly as he came, leaving no trace of where he went off to next.

Now to tell one more short story of Akira's tiny comrade: Shortly after leaving Hyrule, Akira ran into several thugs who had taken a baby dragon known in the "Yu-Gi-Oh!" anime realm as a Red Eyes B. Chick. The baby dragon was smaller than most Red Eyes B. Chick's, and it also couldn't breath fire. The thugs had torn off one of the baby dragon's wings so to keep it from flying off and broke one of its legs to keep it from running. The baby dragon managed to catch Akira's attention as he walked across a large desert known as the Sahara. The dragon squawked furiously and wouldn't stop, no matter how harshly it was yelled at by the thieves. One of the men finally snapped and pulled out a gun to kill the baby, despite the fact that they were delivering the baby to their boss for reasons unknown. Before the shot was fired, however, there was the sound of air being sliced, and the gun that the thug was holding had turned into metallic sand. Akira appeared before the men and demanded that they release the baby, even though it was half-dead. The men resisted, and Akira took the law into his own hands, cutting up the men badly and breaking all of their legs. He was about to rip off their arms as well, but the baby dragon once again caught his attention. Akira put up his sword in a small sword-holder on his back and trudged off with his hands in his pockets, leaving the men to roast in the desert sun. Somehow, the Red Eyes B. Chick managed to keep up with Akira, even with its broken leg and missing wing. Day and night, the baby followed in pain, eating whatever Akira ate and drinking whatever Akira drank. Finally, Akira gave in and decided to help out the baby dragon, for he now felt much respect to the dragon who kept on going despite its crippling injuries. Not only that, but there was another thing that Akira learned about the baby that changed his aspect on it completely: It was blind on its right eye. Akira got right to work fixing up the tiny dragon. Within a matter of hours, the baby's leg had been bandaged up and was healing quickly, and even the wing was showing signs of returning, for dragons can regenerate certain body parts. Every night, the chick would stay up and keep watch over Akira as he slept peacefully under the moonlight next to a small campfire. The dragon seemed to need no rest and would take naps occasionally. Whenever this did occur, Akira would carry the dragon until it awoke, and they would continue their journey through the many worlds, deserts, and oceans of the planet Imaj.

Akira was never one to have friends, nor did he like the thought of having companions. He thought that all they did was slow him down and that they would only give him more trouble. Akira was also one who hated having to put his trust into another, for he relied on no one and loved nothing, but when he sees injustice, he will attack ruthlessly and restore order in his own fashion, even if it does get him in trouble with the law.

'What makes this person so special?', you're probably asking yourself. Well, soon you will learn. Akira is no ordinary person, and everyone who has met him knows it. Not only does he have an untapped power that he has been trying to release for years, but he also has a background that will change the life of everyone who knows him, has known him, or even seen him.

Now…

Let his adventure begin…

**_NOCTURNE_**

_"Reality is a momentary dream, but a dream is a reality for an eternity." –Edgar Allan Poe_


	3. Ch 02: A Trip to Mithril

**_NOCTURNE _**

Chapter II (02): A Trip to Mithril

Akira Tanaka is currently hiking a mountain with his tiny friend, Red Eyes B. Chick, now given the name "Dark." Dark and Akira have been trekking for several days now, trying to cross the border between Neo Tokyo and a place called "Mithril," where there is rumored to be great mechas being made there. Akira was interested and decided to see for himself. One of the stronger "Arm Slaves," as their called, is piloted by a sixteen year old Sergeant, and his girlfriend is said to be one of the "Whispered," a special race of people who have the power to tell things that only governmental people would know and can also bring out dark technology in the Arm Slaves, which can bring chaos to the whole region if it's used by the evil organizations that want to kidnap and use the Whispered for their own selfish purposes. Luckily, Mithril prevents those groups from doing so, and they've been doing very well. Now to get back to Akira and Dark: The duo are close to reaching the peak of one of the highest mountains on the borderline, and are just about to peek over the top…

"C'mon, almost there… Almost there…"

Akira finally reaches the top and stares out at a vast ocean. At the foot of the mountain on a sandy beachline is a base where many airplanes and with those rumored mechas. Mithril. Akira sits on the rocky ground and waits patiently for Dark, who has been lagging behind for a while now.

"Hurry up! We don't have all day!"

Dark squeaks slightly and picks up the pace. He is totally exhausted, but keeps going so to make Akira happy. Akira sighs, lies on his back, puts his hands behind his head, and stares up at the bright blue sky. There are no clouds in sight. The sun is beaming down, but there is a chilly breeze that keeps both Dark and Akira cool from the hot sun's rays. Akira closes his eyes and focuses his senses, trying to listen to the commotion going on below. He can make out distinct voices, ranging from bellowing lieutenants to the shrill voices of younger females who are training at the base. Then he hears two other voices. Two voices that he slowly centers on to listen to…

"…Why do you always have to make things difficult! You always screw up everything!"

"…I'm sorry, that wasn't my intent…"

"…Augh! Why do I have to always be on your adventures! Every time that you say you're taking me to somewhere neat, we always end up going on a trip to one of your whacked-out military bases! Why can't we have a normal vacation for once?"

"I'm sorry, Ms. Chidori. If it would make you feel better, I can take you home."

"No, that's alright. I'm sorry; I didn't mean to sound so upset. I've just been under a lot of stress lately, due to things going on at school and everything…"

"It's alright. I will take the blame. I should have known better than to get you involved in one of my missions. I apologize."

"It's okay, it's okay, really. I don't mind at all. I feel like a jerk now."

"Please don't. I'd rather you be happy than upset, Ms. Chidori. Now… What would you like to see here?"

"Well… I was wondering if you could--"

"Sagara! We have two intruders! They've just past the border!"

Akira snaps out of his daze in an instant. Above both Dark and himself (Dark is napping peacefully next to Akira, curled up in a small ball) are three large helicopters, equipped with machine guns underneath them. Akira stands up quickly and stares at the copters without making a move, showing no fear to the large military machines. There is a low voice that hollers from one of the copters.

"You there! What are you doing here?"

Akira doesn't respond. Instead, he keeps gazing at the large group of copters.

"Respond now or we will have no choice to shoot! This is a restricted area!"

Akira takes a deep breath and yells out.

"I didn't see any sign that said that this place was off-limits."

"Well… Then… We'll just take you with us. Either you cooperate or we'll have to take matters into our own hands."

Akira shrugs his shoulders and the copter with the man that was yelling flies close by him and the now-awakened Dark, who hides behind Akira's leg, but growls ferociously. Akira peers over to the small dragon and says quietly, "Don't worry. I'll take care of this." Dark stops growling, but still stands behind Akira's leg. Wind from the copter picks up dirt and debris that flies in every direction, but Akira stands tall and waits for orders from the people inside the large black military helicopter. A side door opens and a young woman with short brown hair, hazel eyes, and wearing a white helmet steps out and approaches Akira. As soon as she reaches him, she starts to speak.

"Come now."

"Sure thing."

Akira motions with his head to Dark, who responds by rushing recklessly towards the open helicopter door. Dark leaps inside, jumps on one of the cushioned seats, and snuggles next to it, falling asleep almost instantly. The young woman looks back at Akira and tells him to go in as well. Akira hesitates, but does as he is told. He doesn't feel like getting into trouble in this place at the moment. The woman jumps into the helicopter as soon as Akira is in place, shuts the door, and the group of copters take off down to the base…

**_NOCTURNE_**

_"Freedom does not exist as an external truth. It exists inside men, and those who wish to be free are free." --Paul Ernst_


	4. Ch 03: Cute Couple

**_NOCTURNE_**

Chapter III (03): Cute Couple

It takes only several minutes for the helicopters to reach the base. The young military woman opens the copter door after the pilot turns off the copter, and both Akira and Dark wait for permission to exit. There are the sounds of metal clanking in the distance and young recruits being trained by ruthless DI's. Like on the mountain, Akira slowly closes his eyes and concentrates on the voices around him. He then hears the two distinct voices again…

"…the black helicopter. Who is it?"

"I'm not sure. How did he find the base, Sousuke? No one has ever found this place, let alone hike this mountain range!"

"That's very strange… Kaname, why don't you tell the Captain about the young man and his pet? I'm sure she'll find it interesting."

"Why don't you do it?"

"I could, but I--"

"Quit sending me on things you should be doing! I can take care of myself, you know. Don't worry; I won't get him ticked off or anything."

"Let's hope you don't. Who knows what he could do."

"Sure, Sousuke. I won't be long."

The two voices stop talking and Akira can make out the sound of footsteps slowly approaching his position from the distance. He snaps out of his daze and looks around him. Everyone seems to have left. Akira shakes his head and, just as he is about to leave, he notices Dark is missing! Akira looks all around inside the helicopter and looks around the flat area they landed at but can't see Dark anywhere. Akira curses to himself and jumps from the copter door. Somewhere on the base, Akira hears a young woman scream. Akira has a hunch that Dark has entered one of the base's buildings and takes off like a rocket to where the scream was. He stops several feet before a door, which is wide open, and looks around inside. In the small room filled with chairs and a large screen is Dark, being held in the arms of a lovely young teenager with long blue hair that reaches to her waist and is tied around the end by a small red bow. The teen has brown eyes and wears a sleeveless red shirt with light brown shorts that reach just above her knees. The young woman is smiling brightly and rubs her face against Dark's head, who responds by chirping happily.

"Ohhhh, how CUTE!"

Dark's smile widens and he keeps chirping. He seems to love the affection that the young teen is showing to him by his "cuteness." Dark notices Akira standing at the doorway and struggles from the young woman's tight grip.

"Wha—What? Where are you going?"

Dark dashes across the wooden floor, dodging the metal chairs that stand in his way and stops several inches before Akira's right leg. He rubs his head against Akira's leg lovingly. Akira stare down on Dark and frowns, quite upset that his little "comrade" left him in the first place. Dark keeps rubbing his leg even with the glare in Akira's eyes. Akira sighs and brings his attention to the young woman, who looks at Akira curiously, but also with a look of fear.

"Who… Who are you?"

Akira doesn't respond, but he does seem to be listening.

"Hello? Anybody home?"

Akira grins. He shakes Dark off of him and approaches the young woman. He stops several feet before her and extends his right hand. The young woman hesitates, but grasps his hand gently with her right hand as well.

"Akira Tanaka."

"Kaname Chidori. It's nice to meet you... I guess."

Akira and the young woman named Kaname release hands. Dark gazes up at Akira and Kaname, trying to keep his attention on both of their expressions. Akira stares at Kaname, as if trying to read her mind. Kaname seems to be rather scared and has her hands clasped at her sides.

"What… What are you doing here?"

"I just happened to be passing by, is all."

"Mmmkay, and what is that?"

Kaname points to Dark, who starts cheeping. Akira hushes him.

"That is a dragon, Ms. Chidori."

"I kinda figured that, but what is it doing here? Is it yours?"

"Yes, you could say that. His name is Dark."

"Oh. Where'd you get it?"

"Hmm… It wasn't really my intention, but I saved it from some bandits who messed him up pretty bad."

"Oh, that's so mean! What happened to them?"

Akira shrugs. Kaname no longer looks as scared, but does seem to be showing signs that she is still uncomfortable. Around the doorway, there is the sound of clicking metal, and a low voice is heard.

"You. Step away from her."

Akira does not look back, nor does he respond. Dark starts to tremble in fear.

"If you don't move, then I will make you move."

The young man who ordered that command to Akira starts to walk slowly towards him.

"Sousuke, what are you doing!"

"Kaname! Get away from him! We don't know what he could do."

"He's alright; I've already spoken with him."

Dark stops trembling and starts up a menacing growl. Akira turns his head so he can see the young man named Sousuke with his peripheral vision. Sousuke has on a white shirt (possibly from working out) and black jeans. His hair looks almost exactly like Akira's (fuzzed out around the edges) except it is a brown color, as well as his eyes. However, Akira is taller than Sousuke by a few inches. If you were looking eye-to-eye with Sousuke, he has a small X-shaped scar on his right cheek. If you were in Sousuke's point-of-view, the scar is on his left cheek, right next to the jaw line and justabout totouch his neck. The scar is rather thin, so it's hardly noticable from a distance. Akira notices that Sousuke is wearing leather boots as well, and that he's sweating heavily. 'So he _was_ training,' Akira says to himself softly. He also notices Sousuke is holding a small handgun, pointed right at his (Akira's) head. Akira grins again.

"So… Mr. Sousuke Sagara, I presume?"

Sousuke stops, but keeps the gun he's holding lifted in the air, aimed right at Akira.

"How do you know my name?"

Akira shrugs.

"Kaname, did you tell him my name?"

"Of course not! Why would I do that?"

"Then how come he knows it?"

"How should I know! I just met him about a minute ago!"

Kaname glares at Sousuke, who keeps his attention on Akira. Dark stops growling and huddles close to Akira's feet, keeping a look of anger at Sousuke. Akira's grin broadens.

"Hehehe…"

"What are you chuckling for? You shouldn't have anything to be smiling about unless you have some plan up your sleeve."

"Hehehe… Kashim."

Sousuke's eyes open in surprise and the gun he was holding hits the floor, making a metal clank. Fortunately, the gun doesn't go off, and Kaname shows a sign of relief. Her relief then turns to curiosity, as she looks at Akira, who keeps his attention on Sousuke behind him. Sousuke is standing amidst the chairs, which are scattered all over the room. He seems a bit pale.

"How—How did—Where did you learn that name?"

"Hehehe…"

Akira keeps chuckling to himself softly. Kaname backs away slowly from Akira and runs towards Sousuke. She stands beside him, staring at Akira. She decides to let Sousuke handle the problem with this strange man.

Akira turns his whole body in Sousuke and Kaname's direction, still smiling.

"HEY! Where did you learn that name... Kashim?"

"Lucky, I guess. I just said it out of the blue."

"There's no way! Who are you? Are you a spy? Whom are you working for?"

"I'm no spy, Sergeant Sagara."

Sousuke's eye twitches for a brief moment.

"But I can tell you this: I am more of a person than you think I am."

"What… do you mean?"

"Let's see, how can I explain this…"

Akira lowers his head, thinking to himself.

"I am special. Quite special indeed."

"Special? How? Are you… Are you one of the Whispered?"

"Whispered? Hmm… I guess you could say that."

The "Whispered," as I explained earlier, are a special race of people who have the power to bring out the dark technology in the mechas called Arm Slaves. The Whispered also know things that only the highest of governmental people would know. In other words, classified documents that have never seen the light of day for years on end.

Sousuke turns stern and becomes more serious with Akira.

"Listen, you."

"Akira."

"Yes, Akira. Listen: I don't know how you know all of this, or how you found Mithril's base, but I will tell you is that if you don't want to be arrested right now, you'd better tell us the truth."

"I told you all you should know. I swear that I am no spy, nor do I work for anyone who is related to such things. I belong to no government or secret organizations. If I did, I probably would have killed your girlfriend over there."

Akira points to Kaname, who starts to blush.

"We're, umm, not in that type of relationship, Akira. Sousuke is my bodyguard from those evil organizations you were mentioning earlier."

"Is he? Well…"

Akira takes a deep breath and shakes his head. He then starts to laugh.

"What is so funny, you?"

"Nothing, nothing, I'm sorry about that."

Akira continued to chuckle to himself.

"If you don't mind, Sergeant, but I think I will take my leave now."

"Huh?"

Sousuke and Kaname now both have looks of surprise on their faces. Dark is napping peacefully by Akira's leather shoes.

"You think you can leave that easily?"

"Why, in some ways, yes. I only came to visit, is all."

"Visit? What for? This is a secret military base, and you came here to VISIT? I… don't get it. You've totally lost me."

Sousuke starts to laugh, as well as Kaname and Akira. Dark continues to sleep, not being affected at all by their laughing, for he is a heavy sleeper.

"It's been nice chatting with you, Akira. I hope we meet again someday."

"In some ways, I do as well, Ms. Chidori. Take care of yourself."

Dark and Akira are now in a small boat. The boat is made of wood and has a large sail with an "M" on it. The "M" stands for Mithril.

"Sergeant Sagara."

"Hmm? What is it?"

"You take care as well, hear?"

"Heh, I will."

"You know…"

Sousuke and Kaname look at Akira curiously, who smiles mischievously.

"You two make a cute couple."

Sousuke smiles nervously, and Kaname blushes brightly and puts her hands on her face in embarrassment.

"I hope that someday we do cross paths again."

After several more minutes of talking, Akira sets sail with Dark. Kaname waves with her left hand and Sousuke stands at attention. In just mere minutes, the boat has left Mithril and is out on the open sea. Both Kaname and Sousuke are now just tiny dots on the horizon.

"I wonder who the Captain was that I overheard Sousuke talking about… Eh, oh well. I shouldn't worry about that now. Dammit! How did I get so close to them so quickly! I'm becoming too soft. It's all because of you, isn't it!"

Akira glares at Dark, who cheeps happily. Akira sighs and sits on one of the boards in the boat which, of course, are used for sitting on or lying on. A strong wind blows Akira and Dark towards a new destination, the waves lapping at the side of the strong boat gently and gulls that pass from time to time overhead fly by carelessly.

**_NOCTURNE_**

"_Adventure awaits the brave." --Anonymous_


	5. Ch 04: The Island

**_NOCTURNE_**

Chapter IV (04): The Island

Akira and Dark have been stranded out at sea for several days now. The food supply they had stored on the boat is slowly running out, and storms that pass from time to time are gradually breaking the boat to pieces. It won't be very long before their little ship is nothing but floating pieces of wood.

Both Dark and Akira are napping on one of the horizontal boards. Neither of them has noticed the island in the distance that is growing every second the closer they get to it.

Several minutes later, the boat slides onto the shore of the large island. Akira slowly wakes up, noticing that the normal rocking of the boat has stopped suddenly. He lifts his head up and notices trees and sand. He stretches, yawns, and steps out of the boat lazily, bringing his sword along just in case. Still quite spaced-out, Akira starts to trudge across the sand to the forest ahead, unaware that he has landed on an island chalk full of gigantic beasts…

While Akira is in the jungle, he hears the faint sound of a hiss. He stops in this tracks and listens more intently. The hissing grows. 'It sounds like a snake,' Akira says to himself. 'Only a really big serpent could make such noise.' Before Akira knows it, just as he assumed, a monstrous snakehead pops from the ground. The snake glares at Akira, knowing it has found food. The snake is at least 300 feet in length, judging from the head, which is bigger than a normal human body. It is a dark gray color, almost like the color of metal, and it has two sharp fangs in its mouth, rowed with more rows of little sharp teeth. It also has two very small arms and two very small legs, probably to help push its massive body around. It also has two stick-like horns on its head that are the color of its bumpy gray skin. Unlike most snakes, this one does not have scales, but bumpy skin like that of a frog. The snake hisses again, making an ear-deafening cry. Akira is not fazed at all by it. The serpent becomes irritated by Akira's staring and decides to eat him. Big mistake. Akira unsheathes his sword from the case on his back and slices at the snake's nostril. The snake pulls back, but the damage has been done. The snake screeches in agony, but Akira isn't done just yet. Akira slices at the air in front of him, as if trying to cut something invisible. The waves from the sword reach the snake and start to cut at it again and again, leaving deep gashes on the snake's body. The snake finally retreats, bleeding profusely and crying in sheer pain. Akira spits at the ground in front of him. He then yells at the withdrawing serpent.

"If you want a rematch, you can find me at the beach. Hehehe."

Akira sheaths his sword and starts to head back to the beach to set off again and to search for fruit on the trees closest to the beach's area.

"This place is too dangerous. I'll look for food when I get back to the boat."

When Akira reaches the shore, he notices that Dark has disappeared… again.

"Damn creature. Why does it always wander off? I'm going to have to teach him something about that…"

Angered, Akira looks all around the shore, but can't find Dark anywhere.

"Must have gone into the jungle. If he was eaten, it was his own damn fault, that idiotic dragon."

Akira heads back into the jungle, rather upset.

****

Time flies, and before Akira knows it, the sun is starting to set on the horizon, leaving a blood red color in the clouds above and turning the sky as black as Akira's hair.

Just as he is about to give up and leave Dark on the island, he hears a rustling of a bush behind him. Akira keeps his back turned. There is a gruff voice behind him.

"Don't move, or you die."

Akira smirks.

"Die? Are you speaking to me? That's funny."

There is a growl from the talking person. Footsteps on the ground approach Akira, who responds by pulling his sword from his case and keeps it at a 45-degree angle in front of him. The person in front of him is holding an unusual weapon. It looks like a gun, but at the same time, it doesn't look like one. It is much more advanced than the weapons made today. The person holding it has gray skin and gray hair, almost the same color as the giant serpent Akira encountered earlier. Red eyes beam at Akira. The person looks more like a machine than a human.

"Put your weapon away or you will be shot."

"Heh, try me."

"You asked for it, foolish human."

The machine-like man pulls on the gun's trigger. A small laser advances towards Akira, making an annoying whir as it zips as fast as lightning through the air. Fortunately, Akira is faster in reflexes. He bounces back the laser towards its owner by using his sword as a reflector. The projectile goes right through the machine-man's head. Green blood bursts from the wound. The man drops his gun and falls to the ground lifeless.

"Nice try. Now… What the hell are you exactly?"

Akira kneels down on his right knee next to the person's head. He tugs at the man's head… pulling off a mask. A hideous face of a disfigured human is inside the mask. In fact, it looks more fish like than human. There are no eyes or ears. Veins cover the head, and the color of the head is the same as the mask. The mouth is slightly open, revealing rows of small, razor-sharp teeth.

"How odd. An alien, eh? Well, sorry buddy, but your disguise didn't fool me."

There is another rustling sound. Akira feels the presence of a large creature, even bigger and much more powerful than the snake he encountered earlier in the day. There is a loud boom and the ground quakes, as if a bomb had been detonated, and the head of a huge creature looms above Akira from the trees. It looks like a large skeleton with red eyes. On both shoulders there are eyes, making a total of four eyes on the creature. It has a long black tail that splits about midway, making two smaller tails. Its feet are pointed and are as black as the tail, and it has five skeletal-like fingers. The creature has the snout of a dragon and two horns midway between the eyes and the nostrils at the end of its snout: One horn, closer to the nostrils, is bigger and striped like a zebra, and the other horn, which is smaller, is totally white, making it stand out on the monster's gray-and-black face. The creature also has rows upon rows of sharp teeth; two sharp fangs on the top row and two sharp fangs on the jaw. The large monster breathes deeply. Fog is seen being emitted from its mouth every time it exhales.

"Oh boy, isn't this just great? Man oh man, this just keeps getting better and better."

Just when Akira is about to pull out his sword, the large creature bellows and lightning bolts shoot out from all four of its blood-red glowing eyes. Akira jumps high into the air, and just misses being fried by the bolts, which make a massive explosion the second they hit the ground. Debris and ground fly everywhere, as well as pieces of the alien's body.

"Shit! That was too close!"

Akira lands on the ground several meters away from the crater made by the bolts. Shockwaves pulse through the air for several more seconds before they disappear, shaking trees and sending the native birds flying high into the air. Their screams of terror are nowhere near as loud as the explosion was.

"Time to get serious."

Akira pulls out his sword, which starts to glow a faint ruby color. The large skeletal monster roars again and shoots out four more lightning bolts, which zigzag in the air just like lightning.

"Oh no you don't!"

Akira uses his sword to reflect the bolts, just as he did with the alien's laser. The bolts fly in four different directions, causing large explosions and starting fires that light up the night, making the large monster look like a large demon from Hell.

The monster glowers at Akira, who responds by returning the look and screaming aloud.

"DON'T UNDERESTIMATE ME!"

Akira's sword starts to glow brighter than before. The monster's bolts, the fires licking at the sky, and Akira's magical sword seem to be lighting up the night as the battle progresses endlessly into the next day…

**_NOCTURNE_**

_"The highest proof of virtue is to possess boundless power without abusing it." –Lord Macaulay_


	6. Ch 05: Operation Domination

**_NOCTURNE_**

Chapter V (05): Operation Domination

Morning breaks, and both the giant skeletal monster and Akira are exhausted. The monster is bleeding heavily from the stomach (a wound that Akira made when he was able to attack it at close range), but Akira is barely scratched. All he's been doing is dodging and attacking, which does take quite a bit of energy from him, especially with his large sword.

The giant monster roars one last time and takes off into the sky, using its telepathic powers that Akira just recently learned it had. In just a matter of moments, the monster is nothing but a black speck in the purple morning sky. Akira breathes a sigh of relief. The battle is over, but the war has not yet been won.

"I will most surely fight that thing again. But that, I hope, won't be for a long time…"

Akira places his sword back in its metal casing. Tired and slowly losing strength, Akira heads back to the boat to rest… only to run into Dark. Dark squeals happily to have found its master. Akira's strength returns and builds up in his chest as it comes back in the form of anger.

"YOU STUPID CREATURE! DO YOU KNOW HOW LONG I'VE BEEN LOOKING FOR YOU!"

Dark stops squeaking and looks at Akira innocently.

"I FIGHT HUGE MONSTERS JUST TO LOOK FOR YOUR ASS! You're lucky I'm tired, because if I wasn't, arrrrrrgh…"

Akira glares at Dark, but Dark retains its innocent look. Akira gives up and tells Dark to follow him back to the boat.

But Dark wants Akira to follow him.

Curious by Dark's pleas, Akira follows, still mighty pissed, as Dark leads him deeper into the large jungle. Finally, after several gruelling minutes, Dark brings Akira to a large metallic house, where voices are heard talking inside. Akira hides behind a bush and listens closely as he focuses all his attention on what is being said inside…

"…will take just a matter of months, maybe even weeks if we move fast enough."

"That's suicide! How will we be able to control that many monsters in such a short period of time? What if we lose control?"

"There's no way! I am 100 percent sure of it."

"Where is Monster X? Didn't he land last night?"

"It would seem it retreated after having a ferocious battle last night. It ended this morning."

"What could have battled it?"

"We're not sure yet, but it must have been mighty. In the end, however, Monster X came out the victor, for there are no remains of any other monsters around that could have battled it… besides Manda."

"Are you telling us that Manda battled our Monster X! That's preposterous! That creature is one of the weakest monsters on the island!"

"That's what I said."

"Quit talking, all of you! Leader is about to speak!"

All is silent in the room. 'So…' Akira thinks to himself. 'The large serpent I battled yesterday is named Manda? And that giant skeleton… Monster X? Who are these aliens?'

Just as Akira is about to get deeper into thought, he hears a deep, menacing voice from inside the mechanical house and concentrates once again on listening.

"My fellow Xilians, it is nice to see you all here. All of you are loyal."

'Xilians?' Akira says to himself quietly.

"The day draws near when Planet Imaj will be all ours. We have assembled almost all the acquired monsters for Operation Domination. So far, the list goes as this. We have:

Orochi, the eight-headed dragon that can shoot all types of elements from each of its individual heads.

Monster X, the telepathic monster with strong armor and four eyes that can transform into the mighty Kaiser Ghidorah.

Gigan, the half-cyborg half-monster space beast with the giant razor and long metal claws that can replace themselves into giant chainsaws.

Hedorah, the smog monster. It can pollute the oceans and kill off all the fish, and it can also kill the people and creatures living on Imaj with its powerful toxins.

Destoroyah, the giant four-winged beast with the giant orange horn that can sap the oxygen around it with its powerful Micro Oxygen Spray and its devastating Oxygen Destroyer.

Space Godzilla, the clone of the mighty King of the Monsters with psychic powers and the ability to drain the planet's power, as well as take the power from buildings for its own energy.

Legion, the mighty insect-like creature that can make dozens upon dozens of baby Legion that will tear at the people and fuse to form more Legions.

Iris, the vengeful monster with many tentacles and psychic powers that can gather energy by sucking up projectiles shot at it with a hole on its stomach.

Death Ghidorah, the four legged Ghidorah that is almost as powerful as Kaiser Ghidorah and has the ability to kill people by staring at them and turning them into stone.

Zilla, the fleet-footed monster with the best of eyesight and can swim underwater at incredible speeds and destroy submarines and any other underwater technology that will be used against us.

Gyaos, the giant pterodactyl-like creatures that fly in flocks of the hundreds and that eat anything small that moves on the ground. They also have incredibly strong lasers that beam from their mouths and can cut through virtually anything.

Megaguirus, the enormous dragonfly creature with the large stinger that can be used to suck the life from other monsters that are going to be going against us. She is also the fastest of all the monsters we have mentioned so far, and her wings can disrupt any communication going on as well as jam up the controls of our enemy's weapons so they will become useless against us.

Battra, the evil black Mothra. Although once a friend of Mothra's after a humiliating defeat against Godzilla, we are currently turning it against the good and bringing it to our side. The process will be long, but well worth it.

Now for the monsters that we don't have."

'C'mon, how long of a list are you going to have!' Akira says to himself as he waits impatiently for the Leader of the Xilians to finish his speech. 'And what the hell is "Godzilla?" I've never heard of such a thing. Unless I've seen it already, but never gave it any though... meh...'

"The list goes as this. We don't have:

Super Dragon King Ghidorah, the super powered Ghidorah that can teleport all beings it sees into a large shell, which is stores them for later so it can eat them after they've been gassed or die of starvation.

Biollante, the monster made from combining a rose and Godzilla's cells together to form a huge beast with many tentacles with minds of their own. The creature can spit acid and melt the environment around it, as well as the toughest of metal. It was originally on the good side, but, like Battra, we are going to convert it to become as evil as us.

Mecha Godzilla version 4, codenamed the "X4", is the newest Mecha Godzilla, far more advanced than the human-made Mecha Godzilla of the past and our older generations' version. It is even better than the most recent one they named "Kiryu," that was equipped with the powerful Absolute Zero Cannon. X4 is currently under construction and will be completed in two months' time.

Orga, the alien with the ability to copy other monsters' DNA and become just like them; a copy. Orga's kind live far from us, but we are now forming a treaty with them so that they can be on our side. They're nearly extinct. Only about 47 of their kind are left alive. As soon as the takeover of Planet Imaj is over, we shall kill them off and take the planet for ourselves.

There are more monsters out there, but these are the ones we are most interested in. Now for the final monster. The monster with such incredible strength that no monster alive, not even any being alive, will be able to kill it: Bagan.

Bagan is the ultimate monster ever created. It possesses speed, strength, and psychic powers beyond all comprehension. It lived in the Earth's ultra-ancient past and has vanished since the time of the dinosaurs. It can live for all time and hardly loses strength because of age. About ten years ago, our older descendants brought back Bagan to their time and fused its cells with both Godzilla and King Ghidorah's, making it even stronger. We plan on fusing it with all the monsters above except for the mechas to create the monster that will live in infamy. It will have the power to wipe out galaxies and it will lead us to universal domination. Nothing will stand a chance when we find this magnificent creature of ultimate power."

There are the sounds of cheering Xilians as their anticipation of finding Bagan increases to a new level.

"Sounds like nothing will stop them now…"

Akira stands up from behind the bush… only to hear several voices saying "An intruder!"

Akira sighs.

"Shit. Here we go again."

**_NOCTURNE_**

_"Fear of death is the realization of life's unresolved contradiction." –Leo Tolstoy _


	7. Ch 06: King of the Monsters

**_NOCTURNE_**

Chapter VI (06): King of the Monsters

Akira unsheathes his sword once more. One of the Xilian guards dashes toward him, pointing his weapon right at Akira's gut. He looks exactly the same as the Xilian Akira faced the other day.

"Hold it right there!"

Akira sneers.

"What is it you find so funny!"

"Hehehe… I couldn't help but overhear you guys's conversation in there. Really interesting stuff, y'know."

"WWWHAAAAATT! How did you do it! That's impossible! Those metal walls were supposed to keep noise _IN_! There's no way you could have heard it! And besides, even if you did, you probably didn't understand a word of it since we were talking in X language."

"I beg to differ. So… You 'Xilians,' as you call yourselves, are looking for a monster named Bagan?"

The Xilian drops his weapon. Although he is wearing a mask, it is clear that he is freaked out. Akira's grin widens.

"What's wrong? Did I say something BAAAAAAAAD? You look mighty surprised. Heh. Well, you should be. Because I can speak virtually any language and I can do many things. I'm quite special, you know."

The Xilian clenches his fists and starts to become angry.

"YOU! We will have you killed! You will not get this information out! I will make sure of it!"

The Xilian reaches down to pick his weapon. He only lets his eyes off of Akira for less than a second. When he glances back up, Akira is nowhere in sight.

"What in the hell!"

The Xilian picks up his weapon quickly and starts to charge it for a powerful shot. The wind blows, and the sound of a low laughing can be heard being whispered by the wind. A chill runs down the Xilian's spine as he hears the laughter continue to get closer and closer to his position. The wind picks up and is surprisingly strong for just a brief moment, and it stops shortly after. The Xilian looks around nervously. He then starts to feel something touching his neck. He reaches his hand up to feel his neck when his vision starts to literally split. The Xilian lets out a cry of surprise as half of his head falls from his body and onto the glimmering glass, now stained with the green blood of the Xilian. The Xilian gurgles, drops down on the ground, and doesn't move at all. He is dead. Blood rushes from the open space in his head like water and covers most of the grass around him in a pool of ooze. Akira appears walking calmly from the jungle, with Dark trailing beside him. There is not a mark of blood on Akira's mighty sword, which shines brilliantly under the sun.

"Fool. They'll never learn anything."

Akira walks by the Xilian and spits on its body. Dark rushes past the body disgusted. The duo then head towards the metallic house where the meeting with the Xilians and the Xilian Leader was just being held. All is silent around the two as they listen to the sounds of a large door opening.

"Now, keep your yap shut and don't make a sound."

Akira directs that message to Dark, who then stands as still as a statue.

Voices are heard floating nearby, being carried by a soft breeze. The voices sound like clicking noises. 'This must be the "X language" that the one Xilian was speaking about earlier.' Akira says to himself. He then starts to listen intently. The language he hears is translated in his head about as soon as he hears it.

"…to the ship. Then we'll take off and find the other kaiju."

'Kaiju?' Akira asks himself.

"…es, sir! We will do just that!"

"Good."

"Did you hear the reports of an intruder?"

"He's been taken care of, sir. 24 took the intruder head on."

"Very good. The trespasser must be dead by now. 24 is one of our toughest soldiers, and also one of the more experienced ones. However…"

"What is it, Great Leader?"

"Hmm… Nothing. Don't worry about it. Now head to the Mothership; we have some searching to do…"

"Yes, Great Leader!"

Akira hears the sound of someone rushing away. He then hears someone walking slowly away from the mechanical house, mumbling to himself. Then all is silent.

Akira motions to Dark, who follows obediently. Both of them hide in the jungle to keep themselves from being seen.

After several minutes, the duo is shocked to see a humongous sliver orb floating in the sky. Sets of stairs lead from the ground to the orb, where Xilian after Xilian enter. The orb could easily fool anyone if anyone saw it, for it would look very much like a star if it stayed motionless in a night sky.

Finally, after several hours, the giant masses of Xilians have all entered their Mothership. Akira continues to watch, doing nothing. Then he hears a voice in his head.

"Well well well, still watching, are you?"

Akira is stunned and looks all around him. All he sees is Dark, who is snoozing peacefully beside his feet.

"Don't bother searching for me; it is futile. I am the Xilian Leader, Kaiser X. I have been watching you for a while now."

Akira starts to become angry in frustration.

'Where are you! Show yourself!'

"Ah ah ah, don't throw such a nasty temper. I've been watching you from my lovely Mothership. I was quite well aware of your presence back at the meeting place of ours. You nosy little prick."

'HEY! I just happened to be passing by! And how did you know that I was there?'

"Like you, I am far more advanced than my race. I can do things that they can't, such as reading minds and sensing powers. I can even go so far as to speak telepathically, like we are now. I'm glad that you can do the same."

'What is it you want?'

"What do I want? Oh, nothing really. I just want you DEAD."

Shortly after Kaiser X says that, Akira starts to feel a burning sensation in his head. Akira jerks his head to the side, and the pain dissipates.

"Oh? What do you know, you ARE special. That little burning that you felt was supposed to make your brain pop and turn you into a useless vegetable."

'Nice try, bastard, but I'm still standing.'

"Hehehe… If you think I'm out of tricks, just keep watching. You'll be very surprised at what I can do."

'Try me. I can take you on easily.'

"I wouldn't go so far as to say that. You're only a human. You can't regenerate… like I can."

'What? Regeneration? How?'

"You don't listen well, do you? I have had regeneration powers for the longest time, ever since I was born as a matter of fact. Too bad you couldn't do the same; you would have a slim chance if you did. Now… For the reason I wanted to speak with you in the first place. You still listening?"

'Heh, what else CAN I listen to besides your raspy voice? The bugs?'

"Don't get me upset, human. Anyway, I wanted to ask you: Was it you that fought our beast, Monster X, last night?"

'Why, yes it was me. You sound rather surprised.'

"Do I? I am sorry, I didn't intend to sound that way. You nearly killed it, you know."

'I'm well aware of that. Too bad he couldn't stay, I was having fun.'

"I'm glad you said that. Hope you have an electrifying welcome! HAHAHAHA!"

The communication ends.

"What the hell---? WHAT DID YOU MEAN BY THAT!"

Akira then feels the existence of a mighty creature standing just several yards away from him. Without turning around, he grabs Dark and jumps as high as he can into the air (which, by the way, is several hundred feet). There is a loud bang as a great explosion goes off right where he would have been standing if he hadn't jumped. Akira turns his body in the direction of the power and sees standing in the jungle the mighty Monster X, rejuvenated and ready for Round 2. The skeleton monster bellows as it sees that its attack had missed its target.

"NICE TRY!"

Akira lands about 100 yards from the Xilian Mothership, where sounds of whirring goes on.

"Must be getting ready to liftoff…"

Akira tries to keep his attention on both Monster X and the Mothership.

* * *

In the far distance, the ocean stirs to life and something large starts to emerge from the depths of the sea. A low growl is heard, making bubbles rise to the ocean's surface. Gulls scream in fear and fly away. Fish swim with all their might to get away from the creature that swims slowly to the water's surface. As the beast nears the surface, large waves start to form, growing larger as the creature ascends from the depths of the large ocean. A loud roar splits the air as soon as the monster's mouth breaks through the water's once-calm surface. The mighty King has awoken.

* * *

Back on land, Akira is dodging both the lightning bolts of Monster X and several rounds of lasers from the Mothership, trying his hardest not to drop Dark, who squawks terribly. 

"Shit! What have I gotten myself into!"

Akira jumps into the air, just barely surviving another Xilian onslaught. Just as Monster X starts to load another blast, it hears the sound of a loud roar echo from the distance. Monster X stands still, listening. Even the Mothership seems to have stopped moving as the air ripples with the vibrations of the powerful roar of a mighty creature.

Akira lands on the ground and also listens. Dark stops squawking and starts to tremble badly.

"What in the world could that be…?"

As if to answer, a large blue beam soars through the air from the horizon and hits Monster X head on. The beam explodes on impact and keeps on coming for several more seconds, pushing Monster X a great deal from its original position. The large creature screeches in pain as it topples over by the beam's strength. The beam ceases and another roar is heard in the distance. It is much closer now. The ground quakes as a giant monster ascends onto the shore of the beach, stepping over trees and slowly making its way towards both Monster X and the Mothership.

The creature's head appears over the jungle's trees as it glares angrily at everything it sees ahead of it. Dark screeches in terror.

"What is _THAT_ thing!"

**_NOCTURNE_**

_"Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood." –Marie Curie_


	8. Ch 07: Versus

**_NOCTURNE_**

Chapter VII (07): Versus

The monster of the sea comes to a stop, keeping its angry gaze at everything in front of it. The monster is about the size of Monster X (which is about 400 feet) with dark green scales that cover its entire body. Its red eyes seem to burn the very things it looks at, and the large spines on its back (starting on the head, growing larger as they go down the back and then gradually smaller as they reach the tip of its long tail) make it look even more ferocious. The beast has two small arms with four fingers on each hand, all of them with sharp talons that look like they can slash at anything and leave a deep gash. The creature's large, muscular legs look almost perfect for running. It has four sharp nails on both of its large feet. The creature also has the same sharp teeth as Monster X does.

Akira looks on at the large powerful creature, wondering where it came from, when all of a sudden he hears the Xilian Leader, Kaiser X's, voice in his head again.

"That cannot be! How did he awake?"

Akira doesn't respond, but keeps on listening, as the large reptile stares angrily at Monster X and the Mothership.

"That is impossible! We gave it enough tranquilizers to keep it sleeping for years! How did it wake up!"

Akira finally decides to speak to Kaiser X telepathically.

'What is that thing?'

"You! You don't know what that thing is! What a fool! That beast is the mighty King of the Monsters!"

'Uhhh… I still don't know what it is.'

"And I thought you had seen it before. Who hasn't heard of this creature?"

'Obviously, I haven't and you have, so spill the beans and tell me exactly what the hell that thing is!'

"Alright, I might as well. It will kill you anyway. The creature's name: Gojira."

'Go-jeera?'

"Correct, Gojira. It is a legendary Japanese monster that was created when the Atomic Bomb went of in 1954. I'm sure you've heard of that, correct? Anyway, this creature has been defeating us time and time again, ruining our plans to take over this planet. Soon, however, that will change, and the once King of the Monsters will be no more! HAHAHAHA!"

'Errr… You've lost me.'

"Bah, you are a fool. Maybe you've heard of its English name, Godzilla."

'OOOOOOOOOOOH, Godzilla now. Okay, I know what you're talking about; I've never seen the creature before, though.'

"You set sail here and you never ran into it?"

'Not once in my journeys have I come across such a powerful beast. Never.'

"Then he must have just woken up…"

'Are you sure you put him to sleep?'

"Of course, you stupid earthling! Why--!"

A ground-splitting roar from 'Godzilla' breaks the conversation between Akira and Kaiser X. Monster X responds by bellowing its low roar. Both monsters seem to be communicating by their grunts and calls. Monster X screeches once more, and that seemed to pull a trigger on Godzilla, who runs towards Monster X at a fast pace. Monster X dashes towards Godzilla, both stopping for nothing and showing signs of getting ready to fight to the death. Both monsters leap into the air, crashing into each other. Godzilla's force had more power, however, and Monster X is sent flying back onto the ground face first. Godzilla lands on top of the monster and starts to pummel it into the ground with all its might. Godzilla roars in victory as it seems that it has defeated its foe when Monster X turns its head and shoots out bolts of lightning from its eyes, directly onto Godzilla's face. Godzilla lurches back in pain, and Monster X takes advantage of the situation by latching its mouth on Godzilla's left leg. Godzilla manages to swing the monster off of it shortly after recovering from Monster X's previous assault. Its leg is bleeding badly, but it doesn't seem to affect the King as its spines start to glow a light blue color. The spines' color starts to brighten more and more, and a baby blue light is seen being held in Godzilla's mouth. Godzilla then bends his neck back slowly and throws it forward so suddenly that Monster X doesn't have enough time to grasp the situation. A bright blue beam emits from Godzilla's mouth, sending waves of radioactivity right into the face of Monster X. The beam makes a large explosion the second it hits, sending Monster X flying. The monster finally hits the ground several seconds later, smoke lifting from its face. The monster doesn't move at all. Seeing it has won, Godzilla roars a victorious call, which echoes into the very depths of the jungle, shaking the trees and quaking the ground. Godzilla then turns its attention on the Mothership, which is shining a golden color. A beam of white light shoots from the ship onto the half-dead Monster X, making it disappear. A voice is heard shouting angrily from the ship.

"YOU DAMN MONSTER! YOU MAY HAVE DEFEATED MONSTER X, BUT WE WILL RETURN AND MAKE YOU ONE OF US! YOU WILL SEE! AND YOU, TOO, HUMAN! WE WILL GET YOU AS WELL! DON'T EVER FORGET THAT!"

The Mothership then shoots as fast as a rocket into the bright blue sky, disappearing from sight. The battle is finally over. Akira breathes a sigh of relief, and Dark stops trembling. Akira then turns his attention to Godzilla, who stares up at the sky, making sure that the Mothership is truly gone. The monster then turns its attention to Akira, staring at him vacantly. The monster lets out a low grunt and starts to rock from side to side. The large monster then topples forward, hitting the ground hard and sending rock and debris flying everywhere. When the dust settles, Godzilla stays motionless on the ground. Akira walks cautiously up to the King of the Monsters, looking at it to tell whether it died or is just faking it. As he nears it, he hears it breathing.

"What in the world?"

Akira then remembers the tranquilizers that Kaiser X was talking about earlier.

"Oh yeah, that's right. It seems that they've finally taken affect. What perfect timing."

Akira frowns and leaves the King to rest.

**

* * *

**

As Akira gathers loads of fruit and precious water for both his and Dark's journey, he remembers the Xilian's meeting place. He finally finds it after minutes of searching and decides to go inside.

Akira opens the door of the house, which makes a large rusty squeak. Akira peers into the dark room, feeling along the wall for a switch. When he finds it, he clicks it on. The room is totally barren; the Xilians left nothing at all.

"Very strange. You'd think they'd leave something…"

Right before Akira leaves, he hears the faint sound of a beeping noise coming from the ceiling. He looks up to see to his horror a time bomb ready to go off in three and one-half seconds.

"Holy crap! Gotta run!"

Akira dashes quickly from the house. He seems to hear the laughter of the Xilian Leader as he runs from the house.

Two seconds pass.

Then one.

Zero.

The bomb detonates, causing a massive explosion, even bigger than the one that Godzilla caused on Monster X's face with its blast. Akira is sent toppling over, but he catches himself and keeps on running to the shore. In the sky there is a large mushroom-shaped cloud. Although the bomb that went off wasn't nuclear-related, it was still very powerful. Akira finally reaches the shore and turns around to see the looming black cloud of smoke rising high into the sky.

"So this is the technology of the Xilians… Wow… That was a close one…"

**

* * *

**

After several more hours, both Dark and Akira have set sail from the island of monsters and out onto the open sea, heading to a new destination and a new adventure. What awaits them soon, though, will change the life of Akira forever.

**_NOCTURNE_**

"_Your aspirations are your possibilities." –Samuel Johnson_


	9. Ch 08: Airship Assault

**_NOCTURNE_**

Chapter VIII (08): Airship Assault

"…No. We won't do it. Not now. Wait a while longer, then we shall strike."

"Sirrrrrrr, PLEEEEEEASE! I want to kill the brat NOW!"

"I said SHUT-UP! We won't attack now, and if you backtalk me again, you're the one who will be killed! At least wait until my conversation with Kaiser is over."

"Y-y-yes, sir. I'm sorry, sir. I'm just so impatient with these type of things!"

"Then teach yourself patience… Ah, we have received news from them. It's about fucking time. Inyu, leave the room."

"Yes sir…"

There is the whisper of a door in a closed, dark room opening and closing. The man who ordered the one named "Inyu" to go pushes a button on one of the walls, causing a large screen to slide down from the ceiling. The screen turns on.

"Greetings there. I'm sorry for the delay."

"Just get on with it. You said you would report days ago. What the hell happened! I've had enough of your excuses!"

"Well, excuse me, but we all run into trouble from time to time. Things never turn out right, especially for us."

"I'm well aware of that, Kaiser X, but please… Tell me. What was the delay?"

"We… Well, our monster, Monster X, was attacked by a young man named 'Akira.'"

"Eh? Akira?"

"Yes. And then Godzilla woke up and almost destroyed Monster X! I thought you said the tranquilizer would keep him asleep for several years!"

"I thought so, too."

"Bah, forget that plan, then. We have found almost all the monsters we need… but one."

"Oh? I wonder which one THAT is."

"Don't play with me; we've been searching for that monster for years."

"Well, it's out there, trust me on that."

"How would you know? You're just a human."

The man talking to Kaiser X becomes very angry.

"Now listen, you! I could take you down so quick that you wouldn't even have enough time to BLINK before you noticed I had cut you to bits! Got me! Don't underestimate my powers of foresight!"

"Yes, of course, yes of course…"

The conversation ends and the large screen turns off immediately.

"I hate those… things… Rrrrrrr…"

The man turns on a light in the large room. The man has charcoal-black hair and blood-red eyes. He has a large scar under his right eye that stretches horizontally, touching from his ear almost to his nose, which is rather short and rounded. The man is wearing a long black trench coat, making him look like one of the guys from the movie "The Matrix." The man stands exactly six feet high, making him slightly taller than Akira, who is 5'10''. The man stares blankly into space when the door in the large, black-walled room opens. Standing at the doorway is a man with a large red shirt and large red pants. The man also has long, white hair that reaches almost down to his waist and he also has two white fox-like ears. The man has a very large sword, which is tied on his back by a rope. The man's face is covered in shadow (and not by his hair), making his evil red eyes seem to glow. He has long fingernails and wears no shoes. He also has a white fox-like tail. Inyu. Inyu stares at the charcoal-haired man intently.

"So? What did he say?"

"…Nothing of importance, Inyu. Now go. I need time to think…"

"You're always thinking! Shit! When would be a good time to--"

"Now."

"W-w-what? N-now?"

"Yes. Take the Airship and find him. Make sure not to kill either of them."

"Them? There are two? I thought you said he traveled alone."

"I thought so as well. It seems that he is turning soft. Something he will regret."

"When I do get them, do you want me to bring them to you?"

"Most. Definitely."

"Okay, sir. I won't let you down."

"And one more thing, Inyu: Don't shift shape. DO NOT."

"Yes, of course, Keiji, I will do as you say. Farewell…"

Inyu bows respectively and leaves the room in a flash. The man named "Keiji" looks at the wall blankly.

"So… We will finally meet, after so long… And one of us will perish in the process…"

**

* * *

**

Weeks have past since Akira and Dark left the island filled with monsters. Nothing unusual has happened just yet, and at the minute Akira is lying on one of the boards relaxing, letting the sun's rays rejuvenate him. Dark sleeps under the board, however, to keep himself from being burnt to a crisp by the brutal sun.

Akira sits up. He feels that someone has been watching him for the past several days, just waiting to strike. Still uneasy, Akira stretches and yawns obnoxiously. He stands up on the small boat and walks over to a small compartment located right next to the mast. He opens the large compartment and takes out some of the strange, but very tasty, fruit and eats it quickly, for the food spoils fast, which he learned the hard way days earlier. There is still much fruit left, even after all the weeks that have past.

"Thank you, Mithril…"

The scent of the salty sea with the fruit smells terrible, but at least Akira's stomach is content and stops grumbling. Akira opens the compartment again and quickly pulls out one of many bottles of warm water, which he drinks very quickly to ease his burning throat. Satisfied, Akira goes back to his bench to rest when he hears the sound of gunfire up above. There is nothing in the sky, and that really confuses Akira as he looks all around him.

"Maybe I was hearing things…?"

Clouds start to form and cover the bright blue sky as well as the sun. The ocean looks very cold now instead of having the life it had when it gleamed in the sunlight. The sound of gunfire rings again, and this time it is closer.

"What…"

There is more gunfire, and this time, bullets jet through the air, just barely missing Akira's small ship. Small holes are seen on the sail, caused by the bullets that shot out of nowhere. Akira stands up swiftly and yells out into the open sea.

"HEY! STOP THAT WHOEVER IS OUT THERE!"

As if to respond, there is more of an assault, and this time hundreds of bullets pour down from some invisible craft like rain. The bullets hit the water, sending water shooting up. The bullets seem to circle Akira's ship like sharks, gradually moving closer and closer. Fortunately, the bullets stop moments later, not leaving a mark on the ship, or any holes (except for the ones on the sail). Akira darts his head around, trying to find the source of the gunfire, but doesn't see anything in sight.

"What the hell is going on here? Do the clouds here pour bullets instead of rain? How stupid!"

Akira sits back down, grumbling to himself.

"At least the ship isn't damaged."

Akira can't help but feel that the gunfire was made on purpose to catch his attention…

Later in the day, when the sun has set and the moon is covered by thunderclouds that rumble with great force, Akira wakes from his sleep, still having the feeling that he is being watched. Rather pissed, he decides to shake it from his mind and get some more rest when lightning strikes the ocean and rain pours down. Luckily, Akira is able to protect the boat with a "shield" he can conjure up with his mind, so both Akira and Dark stay dry, all the while wind continues to flow through into the shield.

"Ahhh, what a lovely power of mine. I'm glad I learned that one from that old freak back in Neo Tokyo… Too bad he died by that drive by. Eh, oh well. Now for some rest…"

The rain pours down harder as the night progresses. Thunder now literally cracks like an explosion, constantly waking Dark who, normally, stays up at night. Right before Akira can get some shuteye, he hears in the pitch-dark clouds the sound of a machine gun again. Bullets from the clouds hit the shield and bounce off, falling into the ocean. Akira sits up and looks above him and is shocked. Right above him, high in the thunderstorming sky, is a giant wooden aircraft. It looks like a ship, but it floats in the air somehow. There is a large anchor on its side that blows in the direction of the strong wind. Half of the large airship is covered in clouds and the other half is just barely visible in the night sky, which lights up from time to time by lightning. Akira, now filled with curiosity and excitement, decides to jump onto the anchor and enter the airship unseen. He quickly nabs Dark from under his sleeping place (who wakes with a sudden start), lets off his shield, and is drenched almost as quickly as he let it dissipate. Not really worried about the rain, Akira concentrates hard and jumps with all his might from his small boat, making it rock violently. After several agonizing seconds of flying upward into the clouds and through the icy rain, Akira latches on firmly to the anchor, which was just being withdrawn.

"Hehehe… Time for a little payback to these pack of bastards for trying to at me... They won't get away with this! I'll make sure of it!"

Climbing cautiously up the large anchor's chain, Akira makes it on deck. There is no one in sight.

"Odd. But I don't blame 'em, they'd be getting drenched about now."

Akira drops Dark on the deck so he can climb up on top as well. Akira looks around on the deck and notices at the far right of the airship a pair of small, wooden double doors. Dark starts to sneeze as both he and Akira run on the slippery deck to the pair of double wooden doors. There is no mast, no wheel, or anything else on the deck but the doors on the floor. Akira opens the door quickly and notices the floor is just a few meters down. 'A nice, steady jump outta do it,' Akira says to himself. Although the raining slows him down some, Akira manages to jump through the doors and onto the floor below. Dark follows and just makes it through as the doors shut by themselves. Both Akira and Dark now find themselves in a small hallway, lit by torches that are held by metallic hands that are screwed firmly into wooden walls. The floor is pure concrete, however, and is covered by a comfortable layer of red carpet, which leads all the way down the hall. Even with the torches, the hall is still quite dark and it is very hard to see far ahead.

"Looks more like a dungeon than a ship…"

Akira creeps quietly through the ship, listening for voices or footsteps of anyone or anything else that could be on the ship. When Akira reaches the end of the hall (which divides left and right) and looks both ways, checking if the coast is clear, Dark sneezes again.

"Shhh! Quiet!"

Dark looks unhappily up at Akira, as if he fell and hurt himself.

"Don't look at me like that. It's not my fault you can't protect yourself from colds."

Dark sneezes once more.

"Ugh… What am I going to do with you?"

Sighing, Akira takes off his black shirt, picks up Dark, and wraps him in it. Although it is totally soaked, Dark easily warms it up with his body heat instantly (a special technique that dragons can do) and has Akira's shirt dry in no time. Fortunately for Akira, he was also wearing another black shirt under his current one, although it is thinner and not as comfortable. Akira carries Dark in his arms as if carrying a football.

"So? Which way do you think we should go?"

Dark looks curiously at Akira, not understanding the question.

"Bah, never mind. I don't know why I asked you anyways."

Akira closes his eyes and focuses his senses. He feels the presence of many beings on his left, and to his right only one standing alone. Akira shakes himself back to reality and ponders a bit, wondering which way to go.

"Let's see, if I go left, there will be many guys to fight and that would be fun, but more might come out and that would probably be too much to handle. If I went right, however, I could easily kill the person in there and take control of this ship… Then again, what if I don't kill him quick enough and he calls in reinforcements? Hmm, what to do, what to do…"

Akira sits on his bum on the carpeted floor, thinking to himself some more. Dark sneezes one last time before he drifts to sleep. Finally, after much thought, Akira decides to take a look at both halls and check the security first before jumping to conclusions.

Akira decides to go left first. When he reaches the end of the long hallway, he hears partying located past the two very large chestnut-colored doors. He opens one of the doors very, very quietly and peers inside. In the room there are many different creatures, ranging from large green-shelled turtles to small, brown, armless mushrooms. They all seem to be… "partying," listening to one turtle that looks more like a DJ than anything. The tortoise is even wearing black headphones! Rather shocked, Akira shuts the door and goes down the right hall this time. When he reaches the end, there are two large metal doors. He hears nothing inside but the whirring of a large engine. Akira opens the door very slightly and peeks inside. There, at the end of the room, is something controlling the ship that Akira cannot believe is actually there!

**_NOCTURNE_**

_"Looks can be deceiving." --Anonymous_


	10. Ch 09: 'I Am Your Future'

**_NOCTURNE_**

Chapter IX (09): 'I Am Your Future'

Inside the large, blue-and-gray metal room, at the controls of the airship and is looking at a large screen that is showing the storm outside, which are just several yards away from the door (the controls, anyway), there is a large tortoise with large, pointy spikes on its back shell (which is green colored, by the way the shell; the spikes are a dirty yellow-white) messing with the controls. The oversized turtle, who is almost twice the height of Akira, has two large horns on its head, with fire-red hair that reaches down to the rim of its shell. The large reptile has a small tail with two spikes on the end, plus a strip of black leather with little spikes on it wrapped around its neck. The turtle also has short, yellow scaly arms (with the same leather as the one around its neck) and two large stubbly legs. The creature has a broad snout, as well as many pairs of sharp teeth in its mouth. The creature also has flaming red eyes, plus large, bushy, fiery eyebrows. The creature's underbelly is yellow, while the scales covering its entire body (excluding stomach) are all a golden color.

Akira's eyes widen as he looks on at the creature, which messes around with levers and buttons that control the humongous airship. Dark is still sleeping. Lightning strikes outside, where the storm still rumbles on, and it shows no signs of stopping. There is another flash of lightning, and it seems to have hit the airship for there is a huge crack outside. Then, out of the blue, a loud boom of a voice is heard coming from the beast.

"HA HA HA! You think you can stop me? My airship can handle anything! Just watch, we'll speed through you like a hot knife goes through melting butter! BWA HA HA!"

Akira has heard enough. He opens the door all the way, smiles slyly, and tiptoes into the room, slowly approaching the oversized turtle. When Akira reaches the monster, he manages to reach high enough and slap the large creature on the back of the head hard. The monster scowls and turns around to see who had hit him. The large monster looms upward, making himself look even taller than before. The turtle then lurches forward and, right in front of Akira's face, roars a tremendous roar, which seems to rock the ship and causes the large television-like screen of the controls to fizz. The large creature then stands straight up again, glaring at Akira. Dark wakes from his sleep and seems to turn pale, making his black scales turn a tad gray. Akira laughs hard.

"You still got it, don't you?"

The large beast's looks change drastically, and instead of possibly eating Akira, he walks up to him and bear hugs him! Akira continues to laugh, returning the hug.

"Ha ha ha! Akira! It's great to see you!"

"Same here, Koopa, same here."

The two pat each other's backs hard and release each other, smiling.

"So how've y'been, Koopa? Manage to take down Mario yet?"

"Grrrrrr… Of course not."

"You haven't even gotten the Princess? You haven't changed a bit! Except for your size!"

The large beast laughs heartily.

"You, too, have changed, Akira. Look at you! Got a sword and everything! You've still got that look of determination and strength, I have to admit."

"I know, I get that a lot. And to think, after four years, we finally meet again, eh, King Koopa?"

"Indeed. And you still call me Koopa? Why not Bowser?"

"Heh, I just like Koopa better. You don't mind, do you?"

"Of course not! And, as usual, you're still the only one who calls me by that name."

"Really? That's cool."

Akira and the large turtle named "Bowser" start to talk for a long time that stormy night. Eventually, after all is said and done, Akira brings up the gunfire from the airship.

"What? Gunfire? I never set any orders to shoot anyone! I didn't even know there was a ship out here!"

"You serious? Those bullets came down nonstop! I didn't think that it could possibly be you."

"Well, whoever tried to shoot you will be shown no mercy! I will look this up at once! You can stay here. I'm not sure my party guests would like it if they learned you had returned…"

"I know what you mean. They still remember what I did?"

"Who doesn't? I mean, come on! You went into the middle of our war and stopped both sides from attacking each other! And then, just to show your point, you make that murderous beast of yours come out and start to swoop above our troops, causing them to pull back! You know they hate creatures such as that!"

"Yeah, I'm sorry, it wasn't my intent to scare them THAT badly."

"By the way, whatever happened to it?"

"I'm not sure… I lost him one day when I was in Neo-Tokyo. Some suicide bomber came from nowhere and tried to kill us, and then the bomber called in an army of troops to takeover the whole damn city! He disappeared shortly after the battle was over. In some ways, I do miss him."

"I'm sorry to hear that. He was a loyal companion, and a very strong one. I'm sure he wonders where you're at as well."

"Yeah…"

"Well, my old friend, I'm going to check the Weapon's Room and see who's been screwing around with our machine guns! I'll report him back here immediately and do what has to be done. This won't go unjustified!"

With that, Bowser stomps from the room, swinging the large metal doors open in anger, and continues down the hall.

"Well, Dark, it seems that we've got nothing to worry about."

Dark looks at Akira worriedly.

"Don't worry! What's your problem? And plus, you look better so I'll be taking my shirt back, 'kay?"

Akira gently puts Dark on the ground after uncovering him with his black shirt and slips it back on. It is still toasty because of Dark's body heat and it feels really good. Dark stretches his little arms and legs and yawns, making a little squeak. Akira peers down at Dark again and notices that a small wing is coming into form to replace the one that Dark lost because of those reckless bandits.

"Looks like you'll be able to fly again, eh? Heh… I wonder if you can breath fire yet…"

Akira shrugs his shoulders and looks around the room for a chair or something to sit on, but sees nothing. He then notices at the corner of his eye a set of small double doors which are locked by a large bronze lock.

"Hmmm… Wonder what's in there? I don't want to be nosy, but… Eh, I don't think Koopa would mind too much if I just had a little peek…"

Akira walks towards the doors and, after looking from side to side and looking down the hall to see if anyone was coming (which there wasn't), he yanks the lock off and opens the door very cautiously. There is no sound coming within the dimly room. Akira opens the large door all the way and uses his keen vision to penetrate the darkness. At the very end of the large, hallway-like room there is a small chest under a large spotlight. The chest looks old and is covered with a small glass container. The old chest is made of pure gold and is not locked in any way. Akira walks towards the chest, taking one step at a time. He feels that something in the room is going to lunge at him at any second, so he double-checks the room. To his surprise, he sees that the room is lined with traps, from arrows to lasers to buttons you push to activate flames to come from the ground to spikes and virtually anything you can think of. Even the chest is covered with a field that would send thousands of volts through you body to kill you. Akira uses his mind to put up his invisible shield (the same one he used to cover his ship, except smaller) and strolls into the room carelessly. Trap #1 goes off and dozens upon dozens of arrows shoot from the walls, stabbing at Akira's shield and falling to the ground in pieces. As Akira continues onward to the golden chest, Trap #2 is set off and small beams of blue and red lasers jet from the top of the wall, which bounce off and hit each other, causing miniature explosions. Akira continues on, and the third trap goes off after Akira steps on a small, unnoticeable button on the floor. A large wall of flames bursts from the walls, heating the room up to the hottest of temperatures. Fortunately, Akira's shield takes the full blow of damage and no harm is done to Akira, who continues to trudge on forward. Trap after trap, he pulls through unscratched, until eventually he reaches the shining chest, which now a light from the ceiling is cast above it, making it glitter brilliantly. Akira reaches forward and the shield surrounding the chest sets off immediately, sending thousands of volts through Akira's invincible shield. The small machine causing the volts eventually burns out and is useless after several minutes of sending lightning through the glass shield covering the chest. Akira lifts the glass off the chest and a green smoke emits from under the chest. Poison gas. Luckily, Akira is still in his shield and is unaffected. The gas eventually dissipates and Akira reaches downward and slowly opens the chest. In the chest there is a large crystal ball. The ball doesn't shine at all. Disappointed, Akira picks the ball up and examines it.

"There's nothing unusual about it. Why would Koopa keep this? Very strange…"

Akira carries the ball in both hands and exits the room. Shortly after he shuts the secret room's small doors, the ball starts to shake violently.

"What the hell is this?"

Akira drops the ball and, to his surprise, it catches itself in midair, slowly rising until it is at Akira's eyelevel. Staring at the ball curiously, Akira looks around the room and sees no one else in the room who could be doing such magic.

"Mmkay, this is unusual…"

The crystal ball then starts to shine dimly, and the inside of the ball seems to glow. Colors swirl inside the ball like a whirlpool, until eventually Akira can make out the form of a young woman in the ball. The young woman has purple hair and wears an orange bow on the back of her head. She also has beautiful lavender eyes that match perfectly with her hair. The young woman is also wearing a large baby blue dress with blue lines crisscrossing both vertically and horizontally, causing large sky blue rectangles in small blue borders. Around her waist there is a sky blue sash. The young lady speaks to Akira.

"You have found me. Congratulations."

"Who the hell are you?"

"I… am your future."

"_MY_ future? How are you _MY_ future?"

"Hehehe… You are a foolish young man, aren't you? You think you can overcome any obstacle and that you need no friends. But if you need no friends, why do you always seem to befriend at least someone?"

"Shut it. I don't want to hear it. I can't explain it myself, honestly."

"If you have no friends, then you will die alone with no one to help you. However, if you have friends somewhere, they will fight along side you and you will be able to conquer all whom you face."

"I don't know what the hell you're trying to tell me. Get to the damn point already!"

"Don't let the evil inside you escape, or you will be overcome by everything that is already tainted with evil. It will eventually grow and overthrow your very soul, making you a living zombie."

"What… are you talking about? What evil inside me?"

"Just because your father was a devil doesn't mean you can become like him."

"My… my father? How do you know this? ANSWER ME!"

The young woman stares blankly at Akira, shaking her head in disappointment.

"You have such great potential, even greater than your father. And he knows it. He wants it for himself. In order for him to have it, he needs you dead so he can steal the power that hides within you."

"What power do you speak of? Why don't you answer me? Who the fuck are you!"

"I am your future."

"Don't give me that shit! I want the truth!"

The young woman closes her eyes and smiles.

"You are very handsome."

"Thank you, but I don't want any sweet talking. I want to hear the truth from you. How do you know me?"

Suddenly, the insides of the ball swirl again, and a young girl with long blue hair tied with a small red bow at the end appears. The young woman has brown eyes and smiles sweetly at Akira.

"Hey… Wait a second… It's you!"

"Hello again."

"What… the hell?"

"I thought you might say that."

"You're that Kaname character I met just a while back!"

"Indeed, young sir."

"No… That isn't you… I can just tell… You don't speak like that…"

"How would you know? You're such a stupid young fellow with the potential to do everything and you don't do anything."

"SHOW ME YOURSELF!"

Once again, the colors swirl. The room that Akira's standing in turns very dark, as if the ball is pulling him into a different dimension. Inside the ball now is Bowser.

"Not again…"

"What? Don't you appreciate me being here, old pal?"

"Your tricks are starting to bore me. Don't make me break you."

"Augh! Don't break me! Please!"

Bowser says that sarcastically.

"I don't see why he would keep this useless object anyways."

"Hehehe… You will learn soon enough, young demon, soon you will learn…"

The colors swirl once more and reveal a very old woman with sky blue eyes. Her wrinkles look more like flaps as they overthrow her very appearance, making her look very unattractive in every way. She has a large bush of gray hair on her head and small blue spheres on her ears, which are obviously her earrings. The old woman cackles.

"So… This is the real you?"

"How would you know? I can change my shape as much as I want."

Akira sighs.

"Just tell me who you are and how you seem to know me so well."

"Let's see, how would I put this in your words? Ah, let me think… Oh yes, I know the perfect way to put this: I am your guardian angel."

"Very funny."

"Oh? Don't believe me? Okay, then how about an ancient spellcaster with the power to make your eyes pop?"

"Very amusing, old woman. Very amusing."

"Fine then. I am just an old lady with nothing special in any way, shape, or form."

"That's what I think if you don't start talking!"

"Very well, young man, I will tell you, but you have to promise you won't tell your old friend, Bowser, about me."

"Why shouldn't I? It may be a little fun to mess with my old buddy by telling him I got to work his old piece of junk."

"You won't tell. I can see it in your future."

"Hmm, speaking of future, old hag, you told me that 'I am your future' when you were in the form of that young woman earlier when we first met."

"It is true."

"I am sure."

"And what do you mean when we first met? You forgot me already? My gosh, what has happened to your memory?"

"More jokes? Come off it, I'm not falling for them again."

"I am serious, boy. We have met in the past. Perhaps you didn't notice…"

"Alright, then, how old was I?"

"The age you are now."

"Okay, then, where did I meet you?"

"In the mountains right before you landed in Mithril's base."

"Really? Where were you?"

"I was the young lady who brought you into the helicopter and down to the base."

"What the fuck? You're joking! That was a young lady, and you're some old fart!"

"I thought you'd say that. I am a shift shaper. I can take on virtually any form I please. People from the past, the present, the future, virtually any time. The only forms I haven't managed to change into are God and the Devil himself."

"Wow, you have a lot of spare time, don't you?"

"Don't toy with me, boy."

Akira then starts to feel his head throbbing in pain. He drops to his knees. Blood starts to ooze from his mouth, and his eyes are open in sheer agony.

"WHAT—THE—HELL ARE YOU DOING TO—ME?"

"That? Oh, it's nothing, really. I'm just prying into your brain and tearing parts of them for my own purposes."

"VERY—FUNNY."

"You are a bright child, I will have to admit."

The burning in Akira's head stops and the blood, which trickled on the floor, vanishes. Akira stands to his feet amazed.

"That… Was that all an illusion?"

"Precisely. What you felt, what you saw… All of it was conjured up in your head."

"Okay, now I'm officially freaked. Who are you?"

"I am the Woman of the Crystal."

"Woman of the Crystal? You know, I could have thought up better names than that."

"Oh?"

"Yeah… Wait a second… You said you were the woman from the plane back at Mithril, correct?"

"Yes, young man."

"Then that means you can leave this crystal imprisonment of yours freely?"

"Yes. I can do whatever I want. Leave, stay, even appear in your very dreams. I have the power to do it all."

"Okay… That's all I have. Tell me the things you wanted to earlier."

"Heh, you can be a very nice person when you want to. I am glad you don't lose your temper like most I've met. Okay, I will tell you this: The destruction of Planet Imaj is imminent, and only you can stop this mass destruction from happening."

"Me? How?"

"You will meet many people along your road to find your answers, as well as befriend things that are bigger than the imagination can handle. Unfortunately, there is a race out there that also has a plan that the mind cannot comprehend, and one of the main creatures who is thinking up this plan has also befriended your father."

"My father? My father is still living?"

"Oh yes, he's been living and breathing for years now. He's perfectly fine. Of course, your mother is dead."

"Yes… Exactly why I want to find my father and kill him for what he did…"

"Looks can be deceiving."

"Pardon me?"

"You heard me. It is better to ask some of the questions than to know all of the answers."

"Yeah, so I've heard… Okay, this conversation seems to be going nowhere fast."

"Help them. Help them the best you can."

"Who? Who's them?"

"He's in trouble right now… He's going to kill him… If you don't hurry, he will die…"

"Who? Who will die?"

"They both serve a purpose… One worked for the Gods, so it's told in his legend… And the other also holds untapped power that could destroy worlds… His power will be unleashed when yours is. You two have a connection that is unbreakable. Why do you think you had to save him from those thieves? Why do you think those bandits wanted him? Because your father sensed he had a connection to you and that little dragon could lead him to you."

"Whaaaaaaaaaaaaat! You aren't talking about…!"

"Marry her. Don't be scared. Don't worry about it. It will all be okay in the end."

"Errkay, now you're making NO sense."

"The battle begins, and many will die. Only you can bring them back."

"…"

"You're end will come last."

The ball turns completely black in an instant, and Akira finds himself in the airship's control room again. Before him there is Dark, sleeping at his feet curled in a little black ball, and at the doorway there is a red-shelled turtle, staring fearfully at Akira.

"It's--- It's you again!"

"Spare me the talk. What's the problem?"

"They're both in the room! They're both locked in! He's killing him!"

"Who? Who's locked in what room?"

"That… demon has King Bowser locked in the room! You have to save him! He's dying!"

There is a flashback in Akira's mind with the old woman. 'He's in trouble right now… He's going to kill him… If you don't hurry, he will die…'

Akira rushes to where the red-shelled turtle leads him. It is where all the turtles and brown mushrooms were dancing in earlier. There are screams of terror coming from inside… and the agonizing cries of Bowser. There is also a loud cackling coming from the locked room. The doors are glowing a bright purple color.

"We can't break through the doors! Please do it for us!"

"What?"

"Only you can do it! Please! He's dying!"

Akira clenches his fists. His rage seems to fuel him and it pulses throughout his body. 'Yes,' he says to himself. 'I can do this. I can break through that door! HE WON'T DIE!' And with that, Akira slams both of his fists onto the double doors with all his might!

**_NOCTURNE_**

_"'cuz I'm broken when I'm lonesome…" --Seether_


	11. Ch 10: Enter Inyu

**_NOCTURNE_**

Chapter X (10): Enter Inyu

The double doors literally bust down by Akira's fueled fists. There, floating in the air high above the ground is Bowser, totally beat up and bleeding badly from his mouth and nose. There are several large gashes on his arms and stomach. His shell remains unscratched. Underneath Bowser, standing on the ground, is a white haired man with fox ears and a fox tail. The man is wearing large baggy pants and a long, red shirt that cloaks his body. The man is not facing Akira, so Akira cannot see his face. Furious, Akira yells at the man.

"HEY, YOU! WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?"

The man turns around slowly, revealing beaming red eyes. His face is covered in pitch-black shadow and it's impossible to see his entire face clearly. The only visible features are his gleaming white teeth and devilish crimson eyes that stare at Akira in excitement.

"So, Akira, we meet at last."

"WHO ARE YOU?"

"I… am your DOOM."

"MY doom? How are you going to be MY DOOM?"

"Because I just am. My name is Inyu, and I take on the form of one of my favorite rivals."

"Oh? I wonder who that could be."

"You wouldn't know, wouldn't you?"

"Of course I do! I've traveled this world over, and met many different people, places, and things. The form you're in now is that of Inuyasha, is it not?"

"Correct. You really have trekked this Earth from head to foot."

"What the hell are you doing to my friend?"

"Oh, you mean him?"

Inyu points one of his fingers to Bowser above him, who moans in pain.

"Yes, HIM. Put him down immediately, or else I'll have to take matters into my own hands."

"Fine then. I don't want to pick a fight at the moment, so I'll do as you say."

Inyu thrusts his finger downward, sending Bowser through the concrete floor and sending up large amounts of dust and debris. When the smoke clears, Inyu is gone and Akira is raging mad. His emerald-green eyes seem to glow. The sword on his back also pulses in power, shining a dark scarlet color. Many of the turtles in the room go to the large hole in the ship, running to Bowser's aid.

"Damn him… DAMN HIM… I will get him when we meet again…"

Akira rushes towards the hole and jumps in. The airship, now being controlled by the turtle who asked Akira for help in the first place, is making an emergency landing in a place known as the Mushroom World to ask a certain someone for help…

* * *

About four hours pass since the incident on the airship, and Bowser is being kept in a small hospital several miles away from the capital of Mushroom World known as the Mushroom Kingdom, ruled by a young princess named Peach. Bowser is slowly recovering, but he has been in a state of unconsciousness since he was flung into the airship's layers of decks. Akira has been checking on him from time to time, making sure his buddy makes it. Dark stays at the Mushroom Kingdom when Akira goes off to see Bowser and plays around with the people of Mushroom Kingdom called Mushroom Retainers, or "Toads." The Toads wear mushroom-like hats (no one knows whether or not they're actually mushrooms on their heads) and they are very small in size, about half the size of a normal human being. The dots on their mushroom heads vary in color, as do their shirts that they well. Other than that, they all look the same (except for their ages). 

Several hours after the airship took the emergency landing, Akira's small ship was found at sea by a local fisher legend nicknamed "Floatoad" because he's hardly ever seen on land and is always out at sea fishing for whatever he can find. Lately, Floatoad has been waiting for the ultimate prize: To capture a behemoth fish called a Gulper. Gulpers are a red color and haven't been seen long enough to tell their full description. They love to eat anything, and they're also highly intelligent, so hardly any have ever been caught by anyone in the kingdom.

Right now, Akira is residing in a large, beautifully decorated room in the Mushroom Kingdom's castle known as Princess Peach's Castle. As he awaits eagerly for news of Bowser's condition, there is a knock on his door. He gets up off the large feathery bed he was sitting on and opens the door. At the doorway is a small mushroom retainer with an envelope. Akira thanks the small retainer who gleefully runs off. Akira opens the envelope and pulls out a small, neatly written letter. It says:

* * *

**To whomever it may concern,**

**Bowser's condition has improved drastically. There is no longer any need for alarm. We hope that we have not worried you in any way.**

**Sincerely,**

**The Medical's Manager**

* * *

Akira cannot make out the name of the person (for it was written a bit too neatly under "The Medical's Manager"). He crumples up the paper and goes over to his bed. He drops on the bed, sighing to himself. 

'I wonder who that man was… Inyu…'

As Akira's eyes start to close, he can hear the distinct sound of maniacal laughter in the distance. 'This battle isn't over just yet…' Akira says to himself. Slowly, but surely, Akira drifts into sleep and the night presses on as the storm overhead continues to rumble.

**_NOCTURNE_**

_"Knowledge is power." –Francis Bacon_

* * *

Every ten chapters, I take a break for a month (or less), so expect Chapter 11 to come sometime next month (in June). See you then... 


	12. Ch 11: A Quick Farewell

**_NOCTURNE_**

Chapter XI (11): A Quick Farewell

"WE'VE FOUND IT, SIR!"

"Found what?"

"THE MONSTER WE'VE BEEN SEARCHING FOR ALL THIS TIME!"

"You don't mean--!"

"BAGAN!"

* * *

Several days have past since the incident at the airship, and both Dark and Akira have been residing at Princess Peach's Castle in the Mushroom Kingdom, located in the "Mushroom World." Time has flown by very quickly, and Bowser has almost completely recovered.

Akira is currently wandering around outside in the castle's huge terrace, while Dark runs about frantically, trying to catch birds that flutter from the skies and to the ground for food. So far, he hasn't had any success of catching any, for he makes too much racket when he rushes towards the birds, causing them to flee quickly, leaving poor Dark very disappointed, but he never seems to give up. As Akira walks around with his hands in his pockets, he runs into a peculiar character, who is also wandering about. The small man has a red hat with a large red "M" inside a white circle. The man is also wearing blue overalls and a red shirt underneath. The man has a large mustache that looks like a boat in water (the "bottom" part of the mustache is circled into little semi-circles, while the "top" part is straight, but a bit curved, almost like a crescent moon). The man has a large nose and sky blue eyes. He also wears large white gloves and brown, lace-less leather shoes. The man is a bit overweight, but that doesn't seem to bother him the least as he walks towards Akira smiling brightly.

"Hey, it's you… I remember you…"

"Hello!"

"Your name is… Mario, correct?"

"Yes-a sir-a!"

"Oh great. You still have that English-Italian accent."

"Your name is Akira, right-a?"

"Err, yes it is. We've met in the past, remember?"

"Of course I-a do! Who could forget about-a you-a?"

"Thanks. I needed that."

"Well, I just-a heard you were passing-a by-a, so I thought I could say hello-a."

"I see… Well, I'd best be on my way anyways. Many places to go, many questions unanswered… See you around sometime."

"Okie dokie! See you sometime. And-a thanks for saving Bowser."

"Sure thing."

With that, the small man named Mario walks away. Akira shakes his head and also goes on his way.

Several hours later, Akira and Dark are back on their ship (which has totally been remodeled by the Toads in appreciation for saving Bowser) and they set sail into the ocean blue. Bowser, Mario, Princess Peach, and many Toads wave farewell as Akira and Dark disappear into the horizon, sailing to new places and new adventures.

**_NOCTURNE_**

"_Justice does not come from the outside. It comes from inner peace." –Barbara Hall_


	13. Ch 12: Rescued

**_NOCTURNE_**

Chapter XII (12): Rescued

As the week progresses, Akira and Dark find themselves in yet another storm out in the vast ocean that stretches endlessly. The clouds overhead block the high noon sun and move slowly towards Dark and Akira's position. Rain pours down hard, and hail along with it. Eventually, the rain clouds do make it towards _Mini-Tuatha _(the name of the ship) and the pellets of rain move closer and closer, like hungry sharks that haven't had a meal in ages. Effortlessly, Akira puts up his shield, protecting Dark and himself from the icy sheets of water. Thunder rolls above and lightning strikes multiple times at the water, sending huge electric shocks throughout the ocean, killing fish that were unfortunate enough to be close to the surface. In the distance, waterspouts form and run into each other, either canceling each other out or forming even more powerful pillars of swirling water. The _Mini-Tuatha_ is eventually pulled into one of the stronger ones and is swirled about multiple times, but it never leaves the water's surface. Dark turns as pale as a ghost each time that happens, while Akira lies on the deck, smiling and closing his eyes, enjoying the ride.

Several days later, the large storm (which was later clarified as a level 5 hurricane) disappears from existence, and both Dark and Akira are all alone at sea, still heading to only God knows where. Their food supply is still very, very high, as well as their water supply, so there are no worries… just yet.

Eventually, Dark and Akira stay at sea so long that they both start to go mad and start to beat at each other! Well… not really, but they're on the verge of insanity when, suddenly, the _Mini-Tuatha_ is hit by a major wave and is sent skyward. Akira is totally unprepared, for he was napping at the time, and he tries his best to get the boat back in control before it hits the sea, but to no avail. The ship turns upside down in the air, and Dark disappears from view. The boat hits the water, making large waves and sending the salty water high into the air. Akira searches frantically for Dark, and just when he thought he had found him, he hears a low laugh above him. He looks up and sees Inyu staring back at him evilly.

"You again!"

"Heh, I'm glad you didn't forget me. I know my boss told me not to kill you, but… meh… Why not? HAHAHAHA!"

With that, Inyu stretches both his arms forward and opens his hands to reveal two small balls of energy. The orbs grow unimaginably fast, and Inyu shoots both of them at Akira. Akira can not block the orbs, for they are so strong, and Akira is engulfed in the orbs' magnificent power. The orbs cause a massive explosion, which sends mighty tsunamis in all directions. Akira's seemingly lifeless body floats on the water, blood seeping from large wounds caused by the blast. Inyu laughs again and creates two more balls and shoots them at Akira. The end seems near as another outburst of energy sends Akira's body under the surface of the water. He glides downward to the depths of the ocean…

* * *

Akira opens his eyes slowly. Everything is a blur, and he can't see straight just yet. He focuses very hard and his eyes manage to see okay again. Beside him is Dark, sleeping as if nothing ever happened. Akira sits up as straight as an arrow and looks around. He's still in the _Mini-Tuatha_. All of it was just a nightmare. 

"What… What the…"

Akira looks all around him. Nothing has happened. He's not dead. Inyu never came. It was all just a horrible dream, conjured up in his mind.

"Whoo… What a relief…"

Akira's pulse is racing, and he is breathing heavily. His shirt is drenched with sweat, and his body feels as cold as ice. Akira stands up and shivers, trying to shake off the feeling of the nightmare. As he stands, he sees in the distance land.

"YES…"

Akira no longer feels fear, but instead joy. He cannot wait to be on dry land again.

After about half an hour later, both the now-awakened Dark and Akira are standing on dry land, while the _Mini-Tuatha_ stays stationed at a local port, waiting for her next ride to the seas.

* * *

Night falls quickly as the two head into a nearby city, looking for anything that could be useful on their journey. As the duo trudge along the concrete sidewalks of the dark city, they both hear the faint cries of a young woman in the distance. Her cries are short-lived, however, as her mouth is taped shut by a mob of five gangsters, out for money and for women as well. Akira shrugs his shoulders as he hears the voice has stopped and continues along. The screams are miles off, and only Dark and Akira could hear them because of their extremely acute hearing. Dark starts to squeak sadly, trying to tell Akira to go back and look for the source of the screams. 

"Forget it, Dark. It will only cause trouble. I don't want any of that here…"

Dark comes to a dead halt, looking angrily at Akira. Akira has never seen Dark look more serious.

"Okay, okay, I'll go— _we'll_ go and look for the person. Happy now?"

Dark cheeps happily. Akira then heads the opposite direction of where he was originally going and goes towards the source of the cries for help. He then breaks out in a fast-paced run, breaking the sound barrier as he goes to unimaginable speeds.

In just mere seconds, he's at the source of the yelling woman. In between two large buildings that looks big enough for only several people to walk through together, he sees the five mobsters ganging up on one small young woman. Her hands are tied tightly and she has duck tape over her mouth. She also has a white cloth covering her eyes and the men have money from the woman's pockets in their hands. Not only that, but they were also in the process of raping her and killing her afterward, for one of the larger men has a small magnum gun in his hand, loaded and ready for its job. Akira glares angrily, for none of the men have noticed him yet. The young woman's muffled screams for help are heard very faintly, while the gangsters crowd around her and start to take off her dress. Akira can't see the woman very well because of the savage men, but he can tell that this situation has to be taken seriously. He yells at the men loudly.

"HEY! GET OFF OF HER!"

The men stop their snickering and turn their heads in the direction of the young man with glowing emerald-green eyes and black-as-night hair. Akira's fists are clenched tightly, and his sword is glowing a deep redish color, as if to match his mood perfectly.

"'ey, kid, get outta here! Unless you wanna get HURT."

The man with the gun points his weapon straight at Akira. He sneers. One of the men takes off the young woman's cloth from her eyes and whispers into her ear.

"Look what happens to those who mess with us."

The young woman seems to scream to tell Akira to run and to not stop these mobsters by himself, but her cry goes unheard as the man with the gun pulls the trigger. The woman shuts her eyes and tears start to well up in her eyes as she hears the sound of a man's body hitting the ground, injured severely. Then she hears the gangsters start to gasp in horror, and she slowly opens her eyes. She looks to the ground and sees the man with the gun lying on the dirt, his hand that was holding the dangerous weapon missing and his body totally trashed. The woman looks in horror as she looks back at the young man with green eyes and black hair, who is now holding his sword out, ready for more. One of the gangsters loses his temper.

"HOW DARE YOU! I'LL FUCKIN' KILL YOU!"

The thug dashes towards Akira and lifts one of his fists up, ready for a mighty blow at Akira's head. In just milliseconds, his hand is missing and his body is totally beaten to a pulp. The man's body falls to the ground, unmoving. Everyone looks in fear at Akira, who smiles.

"Who else wants some?"

The three remaining hooligans bulk up their chests and all make a run towards Akira, confident on talking him down as a group. The sickening sound of bones breaking and skin being slashed at is heard, as all the men fall to the ground, totally bruised and bleeding badly. Akira sheaths his sword and looks at the young woman, who hides in the shadow of a large garbage can, trying her hardest not to look at Akira with fright. Akira's look changes totally as he looks back at her. He no longer looks like he's filled with rage. Instead, he looks concerned and happy he was able to do some justice. He approaches the woman rapidly and pulls the tape of her mouth quickly (the woman lets out a weak "Ow"). He then unties her wrists, which she rubs gently with her own hands. The young woman stares back up at Akira, very happy that he found her, and also very fearful at his speed and strength. Akira, still standing, lets out his hand and offers it to the woman, who accepts it. Akira pulls her to her feet. Akira is totally stunned when he sees the person whom he rescued. The woman has long, purple hair with lavender eyes that match her hair perfectly. She wears a large, orange bow with small red lines that crisscross one another. She also wears a long, sky blue dress with thick straps (almost like overalls, except not as "thick") that has thin blue lines crisscrossing one another horizontally and vertically, forming large, sky blue rectangles on her dress. The woman also has a baby blue sash around her waist. She wears purple, lace-less shoes with no heels, so her shoes hardly affect her height. This woman was the woman that the "old hag" told Akira about approximately a month ago when she was inside the crystal ball. 'I am your future…' she said. The woman is shaking terribly, possibly from the experience she just had and also because of the cold, night air that nips at her body. Akira can see that part of the woman's long dress is ripped off, for he can see part of her purple lingerie she has on for her bra. The woman looks at Akira in both shyly and fearfully. She speaks very softly.

"Hello…"

"Hey."

"How… How did you do that?"

"Do what? Oh, you mean to those bastards?"

"Well… Yes…"

"Nothing much. I'm just 'gifted,' as I've been told."

"In some ways, I'm glad you are… If you weren't…"

The woman suddenly breaks down crying, clinging onto Akira's clothing. Akira is rather surprised at this. The woman is much more soft to the touch than he had imagined, for he has never had a woman ever get this close to him before, nor has Akira ever had a lover. Akira pulls the young woman close and strokes at her hair gently, which is as soft as kitten's fur.

"Hey, hey, it's okay, it's okay. It's over, it is all over…"

As Akira holds the weeping woman, there is the huffing and puffing of Dark, as he finally makes it to where Akira is. Dark collapses, totally worn out and his tongue sticking out of his mouth. The young woman finally calms down and looks teary eyed up at Akira's. She is about three inches shorter than he is.

"Thank you…"

"No problem. You should thank my pet, though. Hehehe…"

"Your… pet?"

"Yeah. He's over there."

Akira motions with his head towards Dark, who is still gasping for breath.

"You are a very unusual young man…"

"Heh, thanks."

"Why don't you… come to my place? I'm scared to go by myself now…"

"Well…"

"What—what's wrong?"

"Ah, nothing. Don't worry about it. Okay, we can."

"Thank you…"

Akira releases the woman. She is still sniffing, but not as badly as she was earlier.

"By the way, what is your name? I'm very grateful to you for saving my life."

"My name… It's Akira. What's yours?"

The young woman giggles.

"Yours sounds a little like mine! Mine's is Yukina."

"Akira, Yukina… Hey, you're right."

Akira chuckles to himself.

"Let's go. It's freezing out here!"

"Yeah, it is… Where do you live?"

"Just a few blocks down."

"You were that close to your home?"

"I know; that's what I was thinking. I could have died just several blocks away from my house!"

"Well, let's not wait then…"

The young woman named Yukina leads the way towards her house. As the two reach the end of the alley, they reach the exhausted Dark. Akira picks him up in both hands and starts stroking his back, trying to help his small friend catch his breath. Yukina smiles and continues to lead the way towards her house, with Akira slowly tailing behind.

**_NOCTURNE_**

"_Her voice was ever soft, gentle, and low, an excellent thing in a woman." –King Lear_


	14. Ch 13: Opened Feelings

**_NOCTURNE_**

Chapter XIII (13): Opened Feelings

After several more minutes, Yukina, Dark, and Akira are at the doorstep of a small house, located between two large apartments. The house has no front yard (meaning no grass) and there isn't a visible living thing in sight: no plants, animals, or even bugs seem to dwell around this house. Yukina breathes deeply as she takes Akira up the small set of concrete steps to the wooden porch. It is rather hard to see because there isn't a light on outside, but through a partially cracked window, one can make out the dimness of a light still on inside the house. Yukina stops before the door and turns towards Akira, smiling.

"Well, here we are!"

"Hmm… Not bad, not bad. Better than most places I've seen nowadays. Hey, I can't help but notice, but is something bothering you? You've been rather on-the-edge while we got close to this area."

"Oh, there isn't anything bothering me… too much…"

"What's wrong? Maybe I can help."

"Ummm… It's nothing… He's probably sleeping already…"

"Who's "he"? Are you married?"

"No, I'm still single, it's just that… ah… Never mind. Come on in, it's cold out here."

Yukina opens the door to her house slowly. As she does, the sounds from an old television set flood Akira's ears. The door opens a way to a small corridor, which splits several meters ahead into two different rooms. As Akira enters with Dark, Yukina shuts the door quietly behind him, trying her best not to make a sound. As the two of them creep silently, the sound of a laughing man is heard from the left path, which leads to the living room. The right leads towards more rooms.

"Oh dear, he's still awake…"

"What's wrong? Who is it?"

"It's… It's my father…"

"What's wrong with--"

There is the booming of a loud voice from the living room, which is easily heard even in the middle of the corridor.

"HEY! WHO'S THERE?"

Yukina starts to tremble.

"It's just me, father! And I brought a… guest…"

"WELL, BRING THE GUY IN HERE!"

Yukina looks back at Akira, showing signs of anxiety.

"Please, follow me…"

Yukina leads Akira to the end of the corridor and takes a left.

The living room is totally trashed. Beer bottles and cans are everywhere, as well as small stains on the brown carpet on the floor, which is very dirty and is soiled with rotting bits of food. In the middle of the room is a middle-aged man, sitting on a moth-eaten couch that is only for one person. The couch is a pink color and looks very old. The man is watching television on an old TV set, which sits on a new table that is in very bad condition. The wallpaper on the walls is peeling off, revealing the barren concrete that lies behind them. Akira can't help but be surprised that this young woman lives in this trash heap of a house.

"Well, well, well, who do we have here?"

The man on the couch, whom Akira suspects is Yukina's father, looks in their direction. He smells horrible and smiles such a strange smile that anyone who even glanced at him could tell he is drunk as a skunk. He's holding a batch of beer cans on his lap (which is one dozen; so far, he's drunk at least eight of the twelve). The man has almost no hair on his head, making him look like some sort of monk. He also has powerful looking arms and he wears a thin, white t-shirt that is very messy. He wears blue denim jeans and he looks as if he's been partying all night. His eyes are brown, but because he is drunk, they are turning a slight red.

"Father, this young man is Akira. He saved me from a bunch of mean men several blocks away."

The father's attitude changes drastically.

"YOU STUPID BITCH! I TOLD YOU NOT TO WALK THAT WAY! HOW MANY TIMES MUST I TELL YOU NOT TO GO DOWN THAT PATH? IT MAY BE A SHORTCUT HERE, BUT I TOLD YOU THAT THERE ARE RUTHLESS BASTARDS THAT WILL TAKE ADVANTAGE OF YOU THERE!"

Yukina lowers her head in shame.

"I'm sorry, father, but the way I normally go… There were many gangs fighting and shooting, and I didn't want to get caught in the middle of it, so I had to choose another direction…"

"YOU WHORE! SEE WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU DON'T LISTEN TO ME? YOU COULD'VE BEEN KILLED! DUMBASS!"

Yukina's eyes start to water. The man then turns his attention to Akira.

"And YOU! Why did you follow her here?"

"I… ah…"

"I DON'T NEED NO DAMN GUESTS HERE! THIS PLACE IS FULL, AND THE BOOZE IS MINE! WE DON'T NEED NO TROUBLEMAKERS IN MY HOUSE!"

"I see…"

Akira glares angrily at the man, who also returns the look. Akira then turns to Yukina.

"I can see when I'm not wanted, so I'll just be on my way…"

"No! Please… He doesn't mean it…"

The man on the couch starts to cool off as Akira and Yukina talk.

"Sorry about that. I've been under a whole lot of stress lately… Sure, you can spend the night, BUT ONLY THE NIGHT. Got that, mister, uhh…"

"Akira. Akira Tanaka."

"Yes. Got that, Mr. Tanaka?"

"Yes, sir, I do."

"Good. And you, Yukina… I will deal with you later."

"Yes… Father…"

Yukina's father then starts to watch television again, as if nothing ever happened. Yukina sighs in relief and leads Akira back into the corridor. She then takes the right way. It leads to two separate rooms: On the left is the old man's, and on the right is Yukina's. Of course, Akira and Yukina go into her room.

Although it is a lot cleaner than the living room, one can't help but be quite unsatisfied with the environment, especially the floor, which has a few bottles of booze here and there. There is a small window to the left of the small room, which is locked and isn't broken. Next to the window is a bed, which is set right next to the wall. The bottom of the bed is facing in Akira and Yukina's direction (meaning it is placed vertically). Next to the head of the bed is a small table with a glass vase with dead flowers and a small lamp that is on. The light for the lamp looks quite burnt out.

"Well, here is my room!"

"Not to shabby. I thought it would look more like the living room, honestly."

"Of course not! I try my best to keep it clean. I hope you don't mind the bottles… They belong to my father…"

"No, I don't mind at all."

Akira walks to Yukina's small bed and places Dark on it. Dark is still rather tired, but he decides to run around the room and get to know how to get around it. Yukina sits on the part of her bed where the pillows are, holding herself as if she were cold, and Akira sits at the edge of the bed, crossing his arms.

"So… That guy was your old man?"

"Yes, and this is his house, of course…"

"Why does he seem so upset? I couldn't help but notice."

"Well, you see, my mother left us when I was young, and my father… He turned to alcohol to solve his problems… First it was occasionally, but recently he's been drinking more and more… He smells of liquor and a strange cologne that I don't even know of… Sometimes, when there are no guests and whenever he's drunk enough, he would beat me… I love him very much, but I'm sad that he doesn't love me…"

Yukina holds her face in her hands and starts to cry. Akira moves a bit closer, but doesn't really know what to do in this type of situation.

"Eh… umm…"

Yukina starts to rub at her eyes.

"I'm… I'm sorry… I hate it when I get like this…"

"No, it's alright. I know how you feel… sort of."

Yukina stops crying and looks back at Akira directly.

"So… Do you have a family back at where you live?"

"A… family?"

"Yes, like a mother, a father, brothers, sisters, anyone?"

"Well… To be quite honest… No. I don't have anyone but Dark, and he came along by accident. I've been a wanderer all my life, searching this planet for answers that no one seems to have for my many questions… Ehem… I'm getting carried away, sorry."

"It's alright, I don't mind. I'm a pretty good counselor, so if you need to talk, don't feel bad asking me."

"Thanks."

"I'll bet you're tired from wandering and all. If you need a place to stay, you're very welcome here…"

"Heh, I wouldn't go so far as to say VERY welcome…"

Yukina giggles.

"He's a very good man, my father… When he's not drinking, anyway. He's normally not like this way towards guests, even when he's drunk… He normally doesn't stay up this late, either…"

While Yukina is talking, Akira can't help but notice the tear in Yukina's clothing.

"Oy, ah, Yukina?"

"Yes?"

"I can't help but notice, but… uhh…"

Akira points to Yukina's ripped clothing, revealing her purple lingerie bra. Yukina turns a bright red and covers it up with her hands as she stands up quickly.

"Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry! I've probably been like this since we were at that alley!"

"No, it's quite alright--"

"Could you turn away, please?"

"Huh? What for?"

"I need to get this dress off… I'll have to sow it up later…"

"You mean you don't have any replacement clothing?"

"Unfortunately, no, I don't… If I did, I would change, but this dress, bow, and sash are the only pieces of clothing I can have, as well as these shoes of mine… I wash them constantly, but sometimes I do miss cleaning them from time to time. Now, can you please turn your head and close your eyes?"

"Mmmkay…"

Akira does as he's told and shuts his eyes. He can hear the rustling of Yukina taking of her clothing and he feels himself turning hot in the face.

'Must not think about it… Must not think about it! She's just changing, is all… She's… just… changing!'

As Akira yells at himself in his mind, the bed he's sitting on moves slightly as if someone else has gotten on it. He feels the blanket he's sitting on start to slide away from under him, as if someone was taking it all for themselves.

"Okay, you can go ahead and open your eyes now."

Akira opens his eyes slowly and peers over in Yukina's direction. She has her bow off and her hair is down. She's also covering almost all of her body, especially her top, with the blanket she has.

"Are you… Are you…?"

"Hmm? Oh, I'm wearing clothing; it's just that I barely have anything on! That's why I'm using the blanket… I hope you don't mind."

"Not at all."

Akira lies. It does bother him some.

"Okay, let's get some sleep, I'm very tired from the ordeal we had earlier. I hope you don't mind sleeping here with me…"

"What?"

"I can't sleep by myself very well… Please… Can you sleep next to me?"

"Ummmmmmm… Okay… I will, then…"

Yukina smiles brightly. 'This is going to be a long night,' Akira says to himself.

As the two climb into bed (and Dark creeps under the bed to sleep), Yukina reaches over and shuts the light off. Akira has his back towards her (meaning he's not facing her). It is very quiet in the room. In fact, it is so quiet that you could hear a pin drop. The television has been turned off and the old man is asleep. As Akira focuses on sleeping he hears Yukina's soft voice whisper to him.

"Do you mind if I get a bit closer?"

Without waiting for a response, Yukina moves her body closer to Akira's. Both of them are under the covers, and her soft skin touches his, making him very excited and yet very, very, VERY uncomfortable.

"Please… Can you hold my hand? It helps me sleep better…"

Yukina shifts her arm over Akira's and places her hand on his, holding it gently. 'Okay… Calm down, Akira… She isn't trying to seduce you, she just needs some comfort so she can sleep better… Yeah…' Akira repeats that phrase in his mind constantly.

"Okay, I think I can sleep now... Good night, Akira."

"Yeah, good night, Yukina…"

'I don't think I'll be able to get any sleep!' Akira shouts in his mind as he feels Yukina's breathing on the back of his neck. Although the situation he's in is rather odd, he can't help but feel very comfortable now. It's been the longest time since he's felt this way for another human being, especially a female. It actually makes him feel good. Akira thinks these things to help him sleep. Eventually, Yukina's warmth and his new thoughts of other people put him into a restless sleep.

* * *

Early the next morning, Akira wakes up from his slumber. Yukina is no longer in the room. Akira stretches and gets off the bed and makes his way to the living room, where Yukina's sober father lies awake, watching television. He looks rather pale and quite sick. 

"Oy, ahh… Where's Yukina at?"

"She went off to work. Someone's gotta keep this house in shape! Now please… Don't talk to me… My head is throbbing badly… Go on now... You can eat if you like, but don't make any loud noises... What a headache... Argh..."

Akira backs from the room, feeling rather upset. Although Akira understands why Yukina left, he can't help but feel quite lonely that she didn't say good-bye. Akira trudges back to Yukina's room and plucks Dark from under the bed. Dark stays asleep even as he's being picked up. As Akira is about to leave the room, he notices a small note on the table next to the glass vase. It reads:

* * *

**Akira,**

**Went off to work. If you leave before then, I understand. I hope we meet again! Bye!**

**Yukina**

* * *

Akira smiles to himself. He places the note in his pocket and walks from the house with Dark in his arms unheard, strolling back to his ship slowly, possibly hoping somewhere in his confused mind to cross paths with Yukina again so he can say good-bye…

**_NOCTURNE_**

_"Something we were withholding made us weak until we found out it was ourselves." –Robert Frost_


	15. Ch 14: The Phantasmic Mansion

**_NOCTURNE_**

Chapter XIV (14): The Phantasmic Mansion

"It seems that our plan is working. Akira rescued Yukina and the two are now forming a bond."

"Yes, Inyu. It's a shame those workers of ours had to die so easily. They deserved it, nonetheless for their weakness. Now… Akira has fallen into our trap and seems to be feeling concern for another. That will be his downfall! I will make sure that he will beg for mercy when I come after his new 'friend' of his."

"Of course, Keiji, but…"

"What is it?"

"Well, I hope I'm not sounding too concerned myself, but why don't we find another method of torture to him? Let him have her for a much longer time and then we strike when they've finally gotten into a relationship."

"I see… It does indeed make sense, for he probably doesn't feel too much for that woman, but I guess we can wait."

"How will we make them cross paths again? Yukina will never see Akira again at this rate…"

"I have a plan. It will deal with her unstable father…"

* * *

As Akira is getting ready to set sail, he feels a wave of depression sweep over him, making him very sad inside. He keeps it all to himself, though, and doesn't shed a tear. Akira has never cried, not for anyone, not for anything. Akira peers over at Dark, who is curling up on the deck and soaking in the sun's warm rays. Akira then unties the knot to release the _Mini-Tuatha_ from one of the port's poles and they're off again. Akira feels very depressed now, and pulls out the note that he found on Yukina's dresser. He examines it closely, looking at the words that are neatly written in cursive. Akira pulls himself out of his depression and crumples the paper back in his pocket, trying not to think too much about her… Now feeling lost, Akira decides that a good nap might do the trick. As Akira lies on one of the long bedlike boards on the deck, he gazes up at the sky lazily, still thinking about the kind woman he left behind with that awful, uncontrollable man. Akira slowly closes his sleepy eyes and falls into a deep sleep, not realizing that the feelings that he has now are going to impact his life greatly in just a few short moments…

* * *

Akira begins to open his eyes. It is very dark right now. 'Night?' Akira says to himself in his head. 'But… it was early morning when I left the port…' 

As Akira sits up and stretches, he realizes that he is no longer in his boat. Rather, he is on a soft feathery bed in a large, gray-blue room. Akira's senses wake up immediately and Akira feels very alert, looking around the room that he had mysteriously appeared in. Akira gets off the bed and continues examining the rather large room. There is a bookcase with no books, a small dresser next to the bed (which is next to a window as well), and a small compartment with nothing in it. The desk also has a small wooden chair made of unusual wood. The walls feel as smooth as marble but is harder than anything Akira has ever felt. It isn't wood, it isn't marble, not even concrete or metal.

"Where the hell am I?"

As Akira steps out of his room, he smells a familiar smell in the hallway. The smell begins to move closer and closer, coming from behind him. Akira looks back quickly and comes face-to-face with a strange man.

"Hey there! You're the new guy, eh?"

"New guy? What are you talking about?"

"Bah, so I guess you don't know. No surprise, most guys end up this way. Damn you, it seems like I'm no longer the only guy here! Hahaha!"

"Mmmkay…"

"The name is Kunio Kusayama. I prefer Kusayama, though."

Kusayama thrusts his hand towards Akira. Kusayama is wearing a large brown business suit that is wrinkled rather badly. He also wears a long red tie, tucked in his suit. Under his suit is a white, buttoned shirt, which is stained around the middle with small gray spots. He also wears large black leather shoes that look quite beaten up and haven't been polished in ages. Kusayama has dark blue-black hair (the dark blue stands out in the light, while the black stands out in the dark) that is smeared with hair gel, making it look rather messy. The man is about the same height as Akira and looks quite strong, especially his facial features. He'd be a real challenge for any normal person to go against this strange man. Kusayama also smells of alcohol and cologne, reminding Akira of Yukina's father, except not as old. Akira grasps Kusayama's hand and shakes it.

"And what might your name be, new guy?"

"My name… My name is Akira. Akira Tanaka."

"Akira, huh? Well, that's a damn good name."

"Thanks."

The two men release hands.

"Oy, Akira, let's be pals and help each other out, a'ight?"

"Okay… Sure."

"Why don't you come to my room later on tonight? I'm gonna be having a small party to celebrate our new friendship."

Akira gives Kusayama a weird look, but Kusayama doesn't seem to notice as he smiles brightly.

"My room is up here on the second floor. It is the last room on the first corridor facing the east."

Before Akira can respond, Kusayama is gone in a flash to prepare for later on tonight.

"What a strange-ass guy…"

Akira grimaces at the smell that Kusayama left behind. Before Akira continues his examination of this strange place, he remembers Dark and goes back in his room. Dark is sleeping under the bed, one of his favorite spots to sleep. Akira then leaves his room and notices that he is the first door on a long corridor. There are several other doors down the hall, but Akira decides not to go in them. Akira notices at his left a staircase leading downstairs.

"So… This is the second floor then? I guess that guy was right…"

As Akira walks down the stairs, he gazes at the large lobby he is about to enter. A large chandelier hands down from the ceiling, matching the large lobby perfectly. There is a man-sized suit of armor standing close to a pair of double doors, which must be the entrance to this place. On the floor there is a large oval carpet with many strange markings in many different colors. As Akira looks around this large lobby, he hears the sound of footsteps approaching him from the stairs. Akira looks back up the stairs and sees a mysterious woman gazing back at him.

"Who… is that?"

As the woman begins to come closer, the smell of a pleasant scent fills Akira's scenes, making him feel giddy and very good at the same time. He feels like he is in a different world as the woman walks closer and closer down from the stairs, looking at Akira with a mysterious look.

The woman finally makes it down from the stairs and continues to advance towards Akira, still looking at him with a soft smile on her face. Akira tries to keep himself cool as she approaches. She seems to be in a dark part of the room and Akira cannot see her very well. 'What's wrong with me? How come I can't see straight?' Akira snaps himself from this strange daze and begins to see clearly. The woman has long black hair and wears a very peculiar dress that seems to be from a different time of many ages ago. 'What time period is SHE in?' Akira says to himself. Her dress looks like one of the old English dresses, worn by the upper-class of that day. The woman has smooth, spotless skin and bright red lustrous lips. This is a beauty Akira has never seen in his life. This strange woman stops about a meter from Akira, looking at him eye-to-eye. She has amazingly beautiful black eyes, which are watery and look very sad.

"Who are you?"

The woman answers softly.

"I… am the mistress of this mansion."

"Mansion?"

"Yes."

"Wait a second… Wasn't I just sailing out at sea? I could've sworn I was..."

"Indeed, you were, Mr. Tanaka, but it seems you had a misfortune while you were out there."

"How do you know my name?"

"I couldn't help but overhear your conversation with our other male guest."

"And what is this misfortune you speak of?"

"While out at sea… Did you feel lost?"

"Of course I did! I never know where I'm off to when I'm out on the open seas."

"No, Mr. Tanaka. I mean have you been feeling lost on the inside, like you don't know what to do or where to go?"

"Well… Now that you mention it… Yeah, I was…"

"You were called, Mr. Tanaka. That feeling that you had, the feeling of longing and loneliness, threw you badly off track from your original trail of life, making you feel alone and depressed."

"…Yes… Yes I did… I really did feel that way..."

"You felt compassion for another human being, something that you've always regretted all your life."

"Hold on a sec, 'mistress'. How do you know THAT information? You aren't working with anyone, are you?"

"No, Mr. Tanaka, I am not. I know much about you, more than you can possibly imagine."

"Really?"

"Yes…"

"Alright, let me get this off my chest: Where am I exactly?"

"You are in a mansion, known to a special few as the phantasmic mansion."

"Phantasmic mansion? You mean like an illusionary mansion?"

"That is correct, Mr. Tanaka. This place… is for people who need time to reflect on their lives. You were feeling lost, and you want to be found. Here, you have the chance to find yourself and go back on your original road of life."

"I don't understand… Why do you speak in these strange riddles?"

"Trust in yourself, Mr. Tanaka, trust in yourself. Don't lose your road, or you will lose all you've loved and all you are looking for. Your search is just beginning to find what you lost, and then you will have to choose. Choose your path wisely. No matter which path you take, one of them will impact you so much that it will drive you on the verge of insanity... and it will unleash the demon within. Take care that your demon does not come out, Mr. Tanaka, for if it does and it is not used for good, Planet Imaj will be in ruins and the universe will then be under your command... but for an evil purpose. If you somehow, just SOMEHOW find away to maintain your power and keep it under your control, then you may just be the savior that this doomed planet is looking for..."

As Akira contemplates what she just said, the mistress disappears quickly.

"What a freaky place this is. And what a strange woman! Are all the people here going to be this strange? Sheesh. I've gotta get outta here… But where is the exit at?"

As Akira thinks to himself, he feels a sudden burst of energy coming from another hall.

"What the hell was that?"

The energy seems to flow throughout the large mansion. It eats at Akira and seems to tear at his insides.

"What tremendous power! I've never felt anything like it!"

The power dies down slowly, disappearing as if it never happened.

"Where'd that come from? I must find out…"

Akira rushes through the mansion, making his way to a pair of small double doors. He opens them and he is now in what seems to be the dining room. Not caring about the dining room and dashing to the other end of it, he goes through an open door and finds himself in a dark hallway with three rooms. At the far right is the source of the strange power. The door containing the power has a light on that leaks from underneath the door. Akira cautiously approaches the door, making sure he isn't heard, when he begins to hear a voice calling his name from inside the room multiple times. It sounds like a sweet melody and pulls him closer and closer, as if he was in a trance. He finds himself turning the knob and opening the door, revealing himself to the person inside!

**_NOCTURNE_**

_"A little learning is a dangerous thing." –Alexander Pope_


	16. Ch 15: Voices

**_NOCTURNE_**

Chapter XV (15): Voices

As the door squeaks open, Akira sees before him a large bedroom ('Must be the master bedroom,' Akira thinks to himself). A few meters ahead of him is a small dresser with incense burning and candles lit. The candles look like they have just been turned on because wax is just starting to dribble down the sides in small, thin streams. There is no light in the room except for the lit candlesticks, so it is very hard to see inside. The eerie singing that Akira had been entranced to earlier has ceased and Akira snaps out of his daze. To his left is a large bed. On the bed… is the mistress, smiling softly and looking at Akira as if she is looking right through him into his very being. She is under her black blanket and looks as if she had been waiting for Akira, for she is sitting straight up in her bed.

"Hello, Mr. Tanaka. What brings you to my room?"

"I uhhhh… ummmm… I'm… not sure…"

"That's alright. There have been people who have come to me like this in the past, as if they were spellbound."

The mistress (who is now wearing large lavender pajamas that look like they could fit a more "heavier" person) uncovers herself from the blanket, gets off the bed, and walks slowly towards Akira, still smiling. She stops a few feet before him.

"You heard voices… Did you not?"

"Well… Yes… I think…"

"Only special people hear voices in this mansion…"

"Hmm? Special people? Like whom?"

"Like you, Mr. Tanaka."

"I don't really understand… Could you--"

The mistress places her finger on Akira's lips, stopping him while he is talking. She looks directly into his eyes as if she is looking for something inside his soul.

"I'm not sure how you possess this strength, Mr. Tanaka, but…"

The mistress lifts her finger off Akira's lips and uses that same hand and covers the part on Akira's chest where his heart would be.

"I want you to promise me something."

"What's that, miss?"

"Please… Never go bad. Stray off the path you are now, for if you do not, you will surely have a most terrible death, something so sinister that even I cannot say it aloud. But… If by some chance you manage to take control, stay on the side of good, for treasures await you that are far greater in price than anything nature could ever conceive. Your heart will break over the next few years, for these years are going to be the most challenging ones you have ever faced, but in the end it will all turn out right… if you don't let evil consume your heart. If you stay on the path you are now, the planet will be doomed to destruction, and billions will die… Not millions, but billions… Possibly even trillions of people and things will perish at your very hand. You will be known throughout the universe as the most threatening thing to ever take a breath of air, to ever be born… But, if by even a stroke of luck, you manage to direct your power to your will, then the universe will have a savior… They will have someone to look forward to saving them, to guiding them and to change their lives…"

The mistress places her hands on Akira's face and looks at him as if she is pleading.

"Please… Don't ever turn bad… Do not… I fear for your life greatly, and that is why I tell you this… Do not turn bad, Mr. Tanaka, no matter how tempting the words of others are or how bad things turn… Stay on the side of justice, not injustice…"

The mistress is gone like a shadow before Akira can pull himself together. Still rather confused, Akira leaves the mistress's room and starts to go back to his room. As he enters the dining room, he runs into a young woman wearing a large white apron and a strange maiden hat. She has spaghetti sauce-colored hair and her hair is in a braid that reaches to her chest. The woman has the same color eyes as her hair, and she has freckles on her face. The long-sleeved, dark blue shirt she wears under her white apron seems to make her look very warm and it makes Akira rather puzzled. 'It is summer time, so why is she wearing a summer shirt?' Akira thinks. The woman notices Akira in her rush and looks at him with frightened eyes, as if she is about to flee from him if he so much as spoke.

"Hello there. Who might you be?"

The woman looks very scared and is trembling slightly but she manages to force out a very weak answer.

"I… I am the maid, Miwako…"

"Miwako, eh? That's an unusual name. Nice, though, I like it."

The woman seems to give Akira a very dark look, but the look could be just Akira's imagination.

"What are you doing up this late? It's pretty dark in here and I don't think there is anyone who would eat this late…"

"I… I have matters to attend to… Please excuse me…"

The young maid named Miwako bows quickly and seems to escaping from Akira as she rushes down another stairway towards what looks like a basement.

"Eh… I wonder if all the people here are like this? What a place. Maybe this is some sort of asylum? Then what the hell am I doing here?"

Akira leaves the dining room and goes into the lobby. He notices the large doors next to the suit of armor and makes his way towards them. As he does, the doors open by themselves and another woman rushes in, slamming right into Akira. Although her unexpected entry knocks her off balance, Akira stands as if nothing had hit him. The woman loses her balance and starts to fall over, but Akira manages to grab onto her hand and hoist her back to her feet. The woman is huffing and looks like she had been running for a while. The woman has crimson colored hair that is very wild, as well as her eyes (red and wild, that is). She has on a sleeveless white shirt and a short brown skirt, latched on to her waist by a black leather belt with a glimmering gold buckle. The woman has socks that almost reach her knees (they look almost the same as the socks that baseball players wear) and she has on brown shoes that look worn out from use. She looks very young with her cute face and seems to give her a "pure" look, almost like a young child. The woman is hunched over and holding her knees with one of her hands. She pulls her other hand from Akira's grasp and looks up at him, rather shocked. Akira stares down on her, waiting for a response.

"Where'd… you come from?"

The woman asks between her gasps for air. She is breathing heavily, almost as if she is having an asthma attack.

"Are you alright? You look like you're having an attack."

"No… I… do not have… asthma, thank you… very much…"

The woman is still struggling to speak, so Akira does most of the talking to let her catch her breath.

"I am Akira, Akira Tanaka. I just got here and I was just about to venture outside until you happened to ram into me… I have also been exploring this large mansion, but I haven't really gotten that far… Who might you be?"

The woman seems to have caught her breath, but she is still breathing quite hard. She stands up tall and looks Akira in the eyes.

"My name… Do you really want to know?"

"Why not? It'll be easier to know who you are instead of calling you… Oh, I dunno… "You," maybe?"

The woman giggles.

"My name is Misao. You have a strange name… Akira. It sounds so powerful."

"Thanks. What are you such in a rush for?"

"I lost track of time and I was getting back inside to my room, but then I got hungry so I was about to go to the dining room."

"What a second… You say you were off to your room?"

"Yeah, but I didn't want to go in it so I went through the front to go to the dining room and get something to eat."

"You've lost me a little… Is your room in the back or something?"

"No, I get to my room by climbing a tree which is right next to my window."

"Ah… So you actually get inside your room by climbing up a tree and through a window?"

"You got it!"

Akira chuckles.

"You must be a really energetic person."

"I get that sometimes…"

"Where might your room be?"

"Why do you wanna know? It's not really any of your business, is it?"

"Well, I'm just curious. I might be passing by and I could say hey or something."

"You'll have to find out for yourself! I'm staying up much to late… Oh jeez! If you make me a bad, then I'm gonna—I'm gonna—AUGH!"

The young woman named Misao runs off into the dining room, rather pissed that she is staying up so late. Akira shrugs his shoulders and sighs in his mind.

As Akira walks up the stairs to his room, at the foot of the stairs he sees yet another woman.

"What kind of place is this? There are women everywhere I turn!"

The woman at the top of the stairs seems to glow. Although Akira can't see her very well from his distance, it is true that she is glowing, almost like a ghost. Chills run down Akira's spine as he walks closer. The woman upstairs slowly starts to disappear from view.

"Wait a sec! Who are you?"

Akira starts to dash up the stairs, but it is too late. The woman has disappeared, almost like an illusion. Akira stands directly where the woman was and stomps hard, making sure there isn't anything she could have gone through.

"Was that a ghost?"

As if to answer, a chilly wind seems to rush right through Akira's body, chilling him to the bone. His shoulder turns icy cold, as if a large ice cube had been placed on it. Akira turns his head quickly to his shoulder to see if anyone is touching him. There is no one in sight. Rather freaked, Akira walks shakily back to his room and slams the door, locking it. Dark wakes with a start from under the bed and peers out, noticing Akira. He starts to squeak happily as Akira draws close to sit on the bed. When he does so, Dark jumps out from under the bed, startling Akira, for he hadn't noticed that Dark was awake.

"Don't DO that! I've had just about enough surprises this night."

Dark nudges his head against Akira's leg. He then jumps on Akira's lap and curls up on it, as if falling asleep. Akira smiles.

"At least I've got you here to keep me company… But at the same time, I hate your company, you know that? Sometimes you can be a real pain in the neck, Dark."

Dark stays motionless on Akira's lap, not understanding a work that Akira said except for his name, which he twitched slightly to. All of a sudden, Dark wakes with a start. His eyes are wide and his expressions look very alarmed, as if he was looking at something else in the room. Dark leaps out of Akira's lap and starts to rumble a low growl, which echoes from the walls. Despite his small size, Dark can still make quite a loud snarl when he wants to. Akira notices Dark's strange behavior and plucks him off the ground.

"What's the wrong with you? There's nothing else in here--"

Akira then hears the cold voice of a young woman, calling out to him.

"Akira… Akira… Be with me… Akira… Akira… Stay with me…"

Akira freezes on the spot and releases Dark, who starts his warning growl again. The voice continues, and it starts to grow, as if drawing nearer and nearer.

"Akira… Akira… I've been so lonely… Akira…. Akira… Don't leave me…"

The voice maintains its rhythmic pattern of words. Akira continues to listen intently to the strange death rattle of a voice, which seems to be coming from a different world.

"Be with me… Stay with me… Love me… Hold me… Akira… AKIRA…"

The voice grows louder and sounds like it's speaking right into Akira's ears.

"I've been so lonely for so long… I've needed someone to love for so long… Will you love me… Akira… Will you hold me… Akira… Will you stay with me forever… Akira… Akira…"

The voice slowly starts to fade away. As it does, Dark's growling does the same. The voice finally disappears completely and it leaves an absent-minded Akira and a confident Dark alone in the room. Akira's eye twitches.

"Okay… I think I need a walk… I've been in bed much too long… Yeah… That's it… Come on, Dark… We need to… walk…"

Akira stands up off the bed and wobbles over to the door. As he opens it, he hears the small cry of a woman. Akira jumps slightly and looks out the door.

"What are you doing?"

The voice calls from the stairs. Akira looks over in the direction of the stairway and sees Misao stepping up, reaching the top.

"You scared the crap outta me! What do you think you're doing?"

Akira looks very pale and doesn't respond.

"Why do you look like that? You look as if you saw a ghost or something!"

Akira just gives Misao an empty look. Misao shudders.

"Alright… You do what you want… But do not follow me into my room!"

As Misao says this, she dashes over straight across from Akira's room and towards another corridor. At the beginning of the corridor is a room, which she opens, enters, and shuts hard, sending a signal through Akira's body, waking him up. Akira shakes his head, picks up Dark from the floor, and runs as fast as a rocket from his room, down the stairs, and into the lit lobby. He notices the front doors and opens them, revealing a beautiful night sky, filled with twinkling stars and a large, glowing half moon high in the black sky. Akira doesn't really notice any of the surrounding because he is still running, though, and he tears off down the yard, getting ready slam his body head on into the large metal gate ahead of him. As he crunches into the gate, it rattles terribly, but it doesn't open. Akira slams the gate with one of his fists, but the gate stays shut. Akira calms himself down and examines the gate closely, looking for a lock. There is nothing on it.

"What the fuck! What is this!"

Akira pulls and pushes the gate with all his might, but nothing. He even takes out his sword and slashes at the gate, but the gate stays unscratched and unopened as it was earlier. Akira finally gives up and leaves the gate, heading towards a large storehouse at the left of the mansion. As he goes over to the storehouse (possibly hoping it could contain something to get the gate open), he hears the low, menacing growl flowing into the air. Akira stops dead in his tracks and listens. He feels as if eyes are piercing him in the darkness, warning him to get away from the storehouse. He also starts to hear the faint laughing of a woman, giggling alongside the growls of a large beast. The strange atmosphere and the chilling echo of the two voices is too much for Akira, who then zips away to the opposite side of the mansion towards a large terrace, which has several white tables spread throughout the terrace with a pair of chairs at each table. It would be the perfect eating-place if it were afternoon right now and if it wasn't summer time. Of course, Akira doesn't take notice of the tables and chairs and continues down the terrace. Several seconds later, Akira notices a small gate to his left and jumps clear over it, almost like a track runner. He lands in a small area with a lonely stone well. There is no grass growing here, so it is rather muddy. Akira catches his breath and notices the well. He then goes over to it to have a drink.

"Damn, that's too much running for one night…"

As he nears the well, he hears splashing noises coming from deep within it, as if a large creature was calling to him from inside or if someone was struggling to keep himself or herself above the surface of the water below. Akira calls out.

"Hello! Anyone down there?"

The splashes immediately stop. Cautiously, Akira takes the pail that is on the side of the well, ties it with some of the rope on the well, and lets the pail drop. The sound of the pail splashing in the water below is heard, but nothing more. Akira pulls on the rope and lifts the pail up from the cold water. He then drinks up the water, not leaving a drop in the wooden pail. The water is totally refreshing and completely rejuvenates him, making him feel like a new man.

"What incredible water! I feel so much better now."

Dark (who is still being held by Akira) looks at the water and makes a disgusted face, sticking out his tongue. Akira laughs and places the empty pail next to the well where it was before and heads towards the backyard of the mansion.

"Not much of a water fan, are you, Dark?"

Dark keeps his eyes fixed on the water, as if it were about to strike at any moment. Akira chuckles to himself and leaves the lonely well to itself again, heading towards many trees that lead to the backyard of the mansion.

After going through several trees, Akira finds himself in the small backyard. It looks almost like a traditional Japanese yard, with large stones on the ground making a small path and a beautiful white flower in bloom next to one of the trees.

"Wow, that's one strange looking flower…"

As Akira nears it, he hears the sounds of footsteps rushing towards him. In a split second, he feels something grab onto him hard, squeezing him to death!

**_NOCTURNE_**

"_Double, double, toil and trouble; fire burn and cauldron bubble." --Macbeth_


	17. Ch 16: Prologue Revisited Zombie?

**_NOCTURNE_**

Chapter XVI (16): Prologue Revisited– Zombie?

It has been years since the finding of Akira's dead mother. A team of the best investigators ever to be born on planet Imaj have kept her body in a special frozen state so to study how she could have died in a top-secret governmental laboratory. Finally, after all this time, the team of exhausted-in-mind scientists that have been autopsying her body seem to have found the cause of her death…

"Well? What is it?"

"It's… It's nothing I've ever seen before… Look at this!"

In a dim, hazy room, two men in black laboratory suits walk to a small metallic table. On the table is a microscope, the highest in its class for examining objects (especially small ones). A few feet away from the microscope is Akira' mother, her body kept preserved. It is in a large glass tube. Her body is visible inside, fortunately, so anyone who passes by in the room can identify who she is by glancing. One of the scientists in the room has fiery red hair, while the other has sleek brown hair reaching his shoulders. The redhead scientist looks through the lens and is shocked.

"Is… Is this her blood?"

"Yes… Luckily, we were able to invent this new mini-microscope using the newest of technology… Do you see it?"

"Yeah… It's remarkably tiny… Who in the hell could have made it?"

"I'm not sure. We haven't seen technology this advanced. It's much more dangerous than anything we've seen."

"But what would this strange nanobot be doing swimming around in her bloodstream? Who implanted it in her?"

"We think it was her husband… I think you know who he is, right?"

"Yes… Even after all these years, I still know who he is… Has his kid ever been found yet?"

"Well, it's been twenty one years, and he's been spotted all around the planet."

"Really? He's quite an adventurer…"

"But, as you're well aware, he has his father's strength… Everyone who has ever wanted him dead doesn't have the guts to kill him face-to-face. We've hired assassins, snipers, mythical creatures, beings from other planets, and even huge beasts from legend, but nothing can stop him. He either builds up his rage and attacks, or just simply uses his speed and his sword to catch them all off balance."

"He has a sword now? Perfect. Now we have another reason to fear him."

"He's also accompanied by a small dragon. You know of it? It's called a 'Red-Eyes B. Chick.' They're quite common in the "Yu-Gi-Oh!" realm, but this one… It has a red eye and a blue eye… From what I've heard from Keiji, Akira thinks it is blind on that eye…"

"Is it? In any case, why is this dragon so special?"

"The two seem to have a bond… As strange as it may sound, that baby dragon can transform into a Red-Eyes B. Dragon..."

"No surprise, what type of Red-Eyes B. Chick cannot?"

"…Or a Blue-Eyes White Dragon."

"WHAT? You're saying that… dragon can turn into either form?"

"Yes… It may sound crazy, but it is a very rare dragon, very rare indeed… It has the ability to transform into either dragon form at will when it grows older… and it can also transform farther…"

"Farther?"

"It can either turn into the mighty Blue-Eyes Shining Dragon… You know, that dragon from the legend…"

"Yeah…"

"Or it can turn into… I just can't help but shiver every time I say this… Red-Eyes Darkness Dragon."

"D-D-Darkness… D-Dragon?"

"Yes…"

Both men seem to turn pale in the cold, foggy room.

"You remember what happened years ago when Red-Eyes Darkness Dragon was unleashed, do you not?"

"Of course I do! Who could ever forget such a terrible incident such as that? That creature nearly took over our universe! Then, just to taunt us, it went into hyperspace and… it took over many other multi-verses."

"Do you remember what the special force was able to do to it?"

"Yeah… It's very hard to hear nowadays, but they managed to capture the beast one night on this planet when it came back to its mate… They killed it. I'm not sure how… Then they took the body and it hasn't been seen since… But… The mate it had survived… and she bore offspring…"

"That dragon Akira has is the offspring of that same dragon."

"Why didn't the special force get rid of his mate?"

"They… They did a test on her to make her unable to produce offspring… It seems they were wrong… Dreadfully wrong…"

"Well, in any case, that dragon won't unleash its powers… Right?"

"From what I heard from Keiji, he said that the dragon will show its true self once Akira does the same."

"Our world, and the universes, will all be doomed the day that happens…"

"Exactly why Keiji is out to get him and his dragon."

"I hope they are successful… Now… Let's get back to our original work…"

As the two men begin studying Akira's mother's frozen blood samples, there is a slight movement behind her glass tube. A small buzz is heard coming from a tiny machine attached to the large glass tube. The buzz signified that there is life somewhere in the tube. Both men jerk their heads up and look at the tube, both of them stunned.

"Hey… It's buzzing… It must be malfunctioning again… Damn thing needs to get fixed…"

As the redhead scientist begins to walk towards the machine, the small device starts to buzz louder and louder, sounding like a large swarm of bees. The redhead scientist stops and takes a small step back.

"What… is going on in there?"

As the sleek-haired scientist looks on with the redhead one, both of them are paralyzed with fright when they see that the woman in the glass tube's eyes snap open. The eyes gaze down at the men, giving them a look of death. Both men nearly faint as the sound of the machine gets even louder. Eventually, the buzz shatters the glass and releases the person from inside the tube. Fog flows out of the broken tube, covering the room in more haze. A thin figure is seen standing from inside the used-to-be glass tube. Before either man can run for help, a soft, deathly cold voice is heard. The voice vibrates in the room, sending chills up both men's spines.

_"Where is he?… Please… Tell me…"_

Both men turn as pale as ghosts as they listen.

_"Where is he?… Where is my boy… Akira?"_

**_NOCTURNE_**

_"Death & Rebirth…_

_All life and the nonliving revolve within that circle…_

_And in a circle, what is the beginning and what is the end?_

_And therefore is there none, are we always touching both…?" --Seraph_


	18. Ch 17: Drunkard

**_NOCTURNE_**

Chapter XVII (17): Drunkard

"So… your name is Sari?"

"Yes. I'm terribly sorry for startling you earlier…"

"It's alright. I'm used to things like that happening to me anyway."

It's been several minutes since Akira was "attacked" by some unknown creature. That "creature" happened to be a beautiful young woman named Sari, who mistook Akira to be her lover. Sari has very long silver hair that reaches to her feet and wonderful black eyes that look surreal. She has very gentle, white skin and a body so fragile that if Akira so much as hugged her hard enough, he might break her frail body's bones. She wears a kimono made of pure silk (white in color). Around her waist is a red sash that stands out like her long, silver hair. The moon in the sky seems to make her body glow as if she were a fairy. Sari doesn't reveal much about herself to Akira, for she is always bringing up the subject of her lover, who left her to fight in a war.

Several minutes later, Akira parts from Sari, who waves good-bye to him as he enters the backdoors of the mansion, heading back up to his room on the second floor… only to run into another figure halfway up the stairway.

"Hey, there you are! I've been looking all over for you!"

Up the stairs is a man wearing a brown, crumpled business suit and wrinkled tie. The same guy Akira met earlier today.

"Hey… It's you… Kusayama, right?"

"You got it!"

"Why have you been looking for me?"

"Did you forget already? Our party in my room!"

"Oh yeah…"

"Well, what are you waiting for? Let's go!"

"Hang on a second… Dark, go back to my room. You know where that is?"

Dark shakes his tail.

"Good. Go on. I'll only be gone for a bit."

Dark does as he's told and rushes past Kusayama quickly, growling. Kusayama doesn't seem to notice, though. Kusayama then leads the way to his room. His room is located down the same hallway as Misao's (the redheaded woman Akira met before going outside), except his is at the very end, while Misao's is the first door on the hall.

The two men enter the room. The smell of brandy and sweat hits Akira's scenes, making him rather giddy. Kusayama, on the other hand, looks like he's totally used to the smell, for he breathes it in deeply, making Akira sick. Kusayama shuts the door behind Akira, and then he runs off towards his bed, going back and forth between his bed and a small desk.

"What are you doing?"

"Shut up and take a seat over there."

Kusayama points to a small table next to the door. There are two conveniently placed seats next to the table. Both chairs are rather small, but Akira takes a seat anyway.

After about a minute or so, Kusayama walks proudly to Akira, holding a small brown bag with a drink inside. Kusayama pulls out the beverage to reveal brandy, an alcohol. He places the large bottle of brandy on the middle of the table and pulls out two small "fancy" glasses from the brown bag and places them on the table, one next to his seat and one next to Akira's seat.

"Well, we're all set!"

"So… This is your little celebration? Drinking?"

"You got it!"

Kusayama pops off the cork on the brandy and pours the yellow liquid in both glasses, filling them to the brim. He then takes a seat, still holding the bottle in his hand.

"You'd better enjoy this, it almost cost me an arm and a leg to find this one bottle!"

"I'm sure."

"Don't tell me you don't drink!"

"Sorry, but I do not. I've never drunk anything other than water and natural juices, and I don't plan on drinking anything that will mess up my system."

"Bah, oh well. I'll just have your drink if you don't mind!"

Without waiting for Akira's response, Kusayama leans forward and snatches Akira's glass, drinking every drop. After he finishes Akira's, he then drinks his own, only this time he drinks about a quarter of it.

"So, Mr. Akira, how did you get here?"

"I'm not sure, to be honest. The caretaker found me, so she says."

"Ah… She's a strange woman… Did you know this place is full of women?"

"I've kind of figured that out…"

"This place is like a harem!"

Kusayama laughs out loud and drinks more of his beverage. His face is starting to turn red and his voice shaky.

"I was the only male here until you came along! Damn you!"

"I'm sorry about that. I didn't intend to end up here in the first place…"

"I'm just joking. It's been a while since I've had a buddy like you come along."

Kusayama drinks the rest of his beer and fills his glass up again. His face is more red than ever and it is clear that he is now officially drunk.

"Do you know what I specialize in, Mr. Akira?"

"Not really…"

'You look like a drunk to me,' Akira mumbles to himself.

"I am a computer programmer of a large company in Tokyo! I'm one of the most capable men in the whole company."

"Really?"

"Oh yeah. One night, when I was drinking in Shinjuku, I got so drunk that I went to the roadside to vomit. I must have passed out. When I woke up, I was here."

"That's strange… This place is surrounded by forest."

"I know. The mistress says she found me out there… She also said something else… Dammit! What did she say?"

Kusayama now seems to be under the control of the brandy, for he starts to speak to himself.

"I remember… I was such a guy for the women… All of them wanted me. Ha ha ha! It was great!"

"I'm sure it was."

"Then there was this one chic… Now SHE was a real hottie… I found her one day at a bar. We both drank and drank and drank until neither of us could stand up straight. Then we went to my place and had a great time!"

"Mmhmm…"

"Do you think you'll ever get some?"

"…"

"If you don't get drunk and screw around and have a little fun, how else do you think you'll get all the women? Look at me! I'm a chic-magnet!"

Kusayama laughs so hard he falls out of his chair. Seconds later, he passes out, and the bottle of brandy he was holding is spilt all over the floor, soaking into the blue carpet.

"I'd better get the maid… Wherever she might be at…"

Akira stands from his chair and leaves Kusayama's room, keeping the door open.

As he rushes down the stairs, Akira remembers seeing the maid in the dining room. 'Hopefully she's still in here, even at this time,' Akira says in his mind. Akira opens the dining room doors quickly and looks around, adjusting to the dark. He notices the hallway at the end of the room.

"Maybe she's in the same hall as the caretaker?"

Akira goes into the hallway and checks the first door at the beginning of the hall. Locked. He checks the second by knocking on it. He hears noise from inside. The door opens very slightly and he sees fearful eyes looking at him. 'Bingo.'

"You are the maid, correct? Miwako?"

"Y… Yes…"

Miwako seems to be crying, for Akira can see her wiping her eyes persistently.

"Are you okay? You look sad."

"I'm fine… Really… What's the matter?"

"Ah… Kusayama, the guy upstairs, we had a drinking party, and he passed out, and there's a huge mess on the floor…"

"Okay, I'll be up there in just a minute."

The maid leaves the door and there is the fumbling of books and other objects in her room. She then opens the door all the way and she is holding a mop and a bucket with water. The water has soap and a small green sponge.

"Wow, you've got this stuff all prepared, don't you?"

The maid seems to blush.

"I'll help you out here."

"Thank you…"

Akira takes the mop and bucket of water. Miwako then rushes upstairs to Kusayama's room, Akira tailing behind.

About half an hour later, the mess is cleaned in Kusayama's room and the passed out Kusayama is placed on his bed to rest. After she finishes cleaning the carpet, the maid bows and leaves quickly, carrying the half-full bucket of water, sponge, and mop back to her room. Akira is left standing outside Kusayama's closed room confused.

"I wonder why she looks as if she's escaping from me? Maybe it's just my imagination…"

* * *

Outside, a storm has just started to brew. The wind howls and rain spatters against Akira's window. Thunder rumbles menacingly and lightning flashes in the distance. The storm pushes onward in the night, keeping Akira awake. Akira is lying on his bed, while Dark stands on the table next to the window, staring outside. Since Dark is nocturnal, he's not bothered at all by the storm, but he does seem to jump when the thunder crashes like cymbals. Surprisingly, it is only about eleven o' clock by the looks of the night and by how "awake" Dark is. You see, the groggier Dark looks at night, the closer it is to eight o' clock, for Dark always wakes up at eight at night. However, if he seems fully active, it is eleven-thirty at night, for he's always the most active at eleven-thirty. When it is one o' clock in the morning, Dark starts to show signs of drowsiness. By six o' clock in the morning, he is almost totally asleep, and by seven, he is totally crashed out. Akira has "used" Dark as his watch for years now.

"Good thing you're here, Dark. You're my special watch in these types of situations when I don't have the time on me."

Akira chuckles to himself and Dark stares at Akira confused. Thunder booms outside again, turning Dark's attention to the storm once more. For some strange reason, Akira seems to hear the sound of a woman screaming being carried by the hurricane-force winds. That is the reason he is still awake.

"Rather odd, ain't it Dark? How the wind sounds like it's screaming… It's chilling…"

Dark seems to somewhat understand what Akira says and listens. After a bit, he starts to tremble and jumps off the table, huddling next to Akira for comfort.

"You hear it, too? Then it's not my imagination…"

Akira continues to listen to the wind as it continues on in the night, screaming as if asking for forgiveness.

**_NOCTURNE_**

_"For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace." –Romans 8:6_


	19. Ch 18: Footsteps

**_NOCTURNE_**

Chapter XVIII (18): Footsteps

The night drags on endlessly as Akira lies awake on his bed. The storm seems to progress with no signs of stopping as the icy pellets of water continue to hit on the mansion. The clouds above blanket the earth, blocking the moon and the stars from view. The only source of light is the faint beam of light flowing under Akira's door from the hallway. Outside, the winds outside have turned into murderous tempests that seem to be trying to rip the large inn to shreds, and at the same time also seem to be trying to get a message in. In the gusts of wind, a voice can be heard screaming for forgiveness.

In the rural area of Japan, a young woman flees from the large city of Tokyo, soaked to the bone by the thunderstorm above, crying hysterically, and holding onto a large knife that is used mainly for cutting pieces of ham or steak. This young woman, however, has other intentions for this blade. As the lady dashes through the large forest, dodging trees and slipping about on the muddy ground, she reaches a clearing. There is not a living thing in sight, and the bustling city of Tokyo is a long way away, possibly miles. The woman reaches the end of the clearing and comes straight to a halt, her eyes red and puffy from crying so hard. She lifts up her right hand, the hand holding onto the knife. She stares at the blade as rain spatters on it and drips off of its point. The woman's eyes are not normal and it is clear that she is not in the right state of mind. She seems to be in some sort of shock as she looks emptily at the razor-sharp knife. Without hesitating, the woman brings up her other arm and turns over her hand, revealing the underside of her arm, her bare, bloody hands, and her wrist. She then places the blade at her wrist, making sure that the tip touches her flesh. Then, in the blink of an eye, she pulls the knife in a horizontal direction, and at the same time puts pressure on the knife so that it imbeds into her skin. The knife cuts her wrist as if it was soft bread, and blood gushes out freely. The woman shouts out in complete agony, but she isn't finished yet. She literally gives the knife over to her other injured hand and does the same thing to her other wrist, except the damage is more severe. The woman drops the knife to the ground as she completes her task of cutting both of her wrists, attempting suicide. She drops to the ground, letting her hands soak into the mud and cries out so loud that it seems to rock the trees and even the storm above her. Her desperate cry for forgiveness goes unheard as she slowly starts to lose consciousness, all the while crying and speaking softly to herself for something terrible that she did. As her life starts to slip from her, the woman drenched in blood and cold rain sees the bright lights of a house before her. It's as if the house appeared from thin air into the clearing she was in, almost like a U.F.O. Someone is seen running from the large house towards her. The woman continues to sob and moan in pain as darkness begins to overcome her and her senses begin to fade…

Back in the mansion, Akira is busy walking about in the lobby, waiting for the mistress to return. A little bit ago, the mistress entered Akira's room with the maid, Miwako, asking him to come down with her to the mansion's entrance. Dark, as usual, wanted to tag along, but Akira insisted that he stay in his room. Dark obeyed his master's command and sadly watched as the mistress, Miwako, and Akira went down the stairs into the magnificent lobby, lit brightly as if there was going to be a party in the middle of the night. As the three of them approached the large doors, the mistress said for Akira to wait next to the armor and keep watch so that nothing or no one would enter the mansion as she, accompanied by Miwako, went outside into the dangerous thunderstorm, both of them wearing large, black raincoats. It has been about two minutes since the both of them went out into the storm, and Akira is starting to wonder what the hell they were thinking. As he's thinking this, Akira hears the sound of footsteps approaching the mansion. It sounds nothing like the mistress or Miwako, because the footsteps sound much too heavy and sound more like a stampeding elephant that the running of human beings. The lights of the lobby suddenly start to flicker on and off as the creature outside starts to gradually get closer and closer to the mansion. Using his special abilities, Akira tries to determine if the creature is strong or not.

No signal is sent back from the dashing creature.

"What could it be? I can't sense anything!"

Preparing for the worst, Akira unsheathes his mighty sword (which he brought just in case anything DID dare to enter the mansion) and gets ready to do battle with whatever it was that was daring to go in to the mansion entrance.

The lights black out.

The once-running footsteps of a large creature outside suddenly stop, and it is silent except for the sound of the rain and wind outside, which reminds Akira of the mistress and Miwako and what could be taking them so long. Fearing for their safety, Akira yells out.

"Hey! Are you two okay out there?"

As if to respond, a low growl is heard. It sounds like the rumble of a drum. The growl slowly starts to make its way through the mansion's doors and creeps inward. Akira cannot see anything entering at all.

"What… Who is that? Show yourself to me!"

The growling starts to transform into a snarl, and Akira feels something rushing towards him.

There is a huge shock on his lower body and Akira is sent sailing through the air. He somehow manages to gain balance while still in the air and lands on his feet, still holding onto his sword. Although the blow didn't do much, it did startle him. His senses are now more alert at this moment.

"What are you? Show yourself, dammit! Quite being such a coward!"

The invisible beast of the darkness then seems to talk to Akira. Using his special ability to speak various languages, Akira is able to make out only several sentences ofwhat the creature is saying. _'Odd,'_ Akira thinks to himself. _'How do I not understand this language so well? I've got to study this special language later...'_

"**DO NOT**…** HER**… **KILL YOU IF**… **ENTER THE**… **HOUSE**… **MAKE SURE OF IT**… **STOP ME IF YOU**… **BUT I WILL BEAT**… **EVEN WITH YOUR SWORD**… **NO MATCH AGAINST ME**… **TOO POWERFUL**… **YOU MAY BE DIFFERENT THAN**… **OTHERS I HAVE FACED, BUT YOU**… **NO MATCH FOR MY AWESOME POWER AND SPEED. I WILL GIVE YOU ONE**… **WARNING. NOW WATCH AS**… **PULVERIZE YOUR BODY, THAT WAY**… **NEVER ENTER THE**… **HOUSE!**"

The creature stops speaking and Akira feels the presence of the beast again as it charges towards him. Akira can't do anything as he feels the creature literally looming over him in the dark, ready to strike. Suddenly, a burst of flame is seen from upstairs, hitting whatever the invisible creature is. The large beast howls in pain and retreats, obviously done with Akira and not wanting to get struck again by the flames, for fire seems to be its weakness. The lights flicker back to life, and Akira looks up the stairs to see Dark snorting smoke, looking victoriously at the mansion's entrance.

"Dark? Did you… Did you do that?"

Dark doesn't seem to hear what Akira had said and goes off back into Akira's room. Akira smiles.

"Wow… So he really is of some use… How was he able to see whatever that thing was?"

Akira then hears the sound of footsteps rushing from outside again, except this time it's different. There are two pairs of footsteps, and there if life energy coming from the rushing beings. It is the mistress and Miwako, and they seem to be carrying something… or someone. Akira runs over to the open doorway and watches as the mistress and Miwako bring in the body of a young woman. A young woman with cut wrists. A young woman cold as ice. A woman wearing a large orange bow and long blue dress. A woman with purple hair and empty lavender eyes. Akira's eyes widen in surprise as he stares at the limp body of the woman being carried into the mansion.

"No! It can't be! Yukina!"

**_NOCTURNE_**

_"Death is nothing to us, since when we are, death has not come, and when death has come, we are not." --Epicurus_


	20. Ch 19: Rejected

**_NOCTURNE_**

Chapter XIX (19): Rejected

Yukina's cries are heard echoing throughout the empty corridors of the mansion. Despite the comforting words of Miwako and the mistress, she continues to cry, continually saying that she doesn't want to die. It is very clear that she is in a pure state of both shock and amnesia.

After being taken in by the mistress and Miwako, she was sent straight to Miwako's room for medical attention. Akira followed but didn't dare enter, for he didn't want to get in the way of their procedures. After about half an hour later, Yukina was brought out. She looked nowhere near as bright and cheerful as Akira had seen her last. Instead, her looks of cheerfulness are replaced with looks of dread, fear, and confusion, and her once-twinkling eyes were dead and almost looked soulless. As Miwako brought Yukina out of her own room, the mistress came out behind them and told Miwako to bring Yukina upstairs to one of the spare rooms. The mistress then went back to her room. Shortly after the mistress left, Miwako asks Akira for help to carry Yukina up the stairs. Akira hesitates for a bit, but eventually helps out. When they reach the top of the stairs, Miwako tells Akira to take Yukina to the room right next to his own. Akira does as he is told and takes Yukina into the unused room. Just a few seconds after placing her on the bed, Yukina seems to go mad and scream aloud as she looks at Akira. Even though Akira tries his best to make her feel safe, he can't help but think that he's being more of a problem than of service. After leaving the room, he tells Miwako (who was standing outside the room) to go in and check on Yukina's condition, for she was acting very strange. Miwako bows and enters the room, shutting the door quietly behind her. Yukina is heard crying hysterically inside, and Miwako's voice tells her that everything is going to be okay. At certain times, Yukina can be heard saying that she doesn't want to die and that she killed someone. The thunderstorm outside has stopped, but the winds continue, and every time they blow past the windows, Yukina screams in fright and continues to cry harder. Akira goes back to his room and shuts his door. Dark (who was under the bed) pops out and notices that Akira looks really down. Try as he might, Dark cannot make Akira cheer up. Akira eventually lies down on his bed and falls asleep, listening to Yukina's crying and Miwako's comforting words in the next room.

* * *

As the sun begins to peek over the horizon, Akira begins to open his eyes from his deep sleep. He sits up quickly and yawns. He then notices that Dark is still awake. Dark looks very tired, but also seems to look very concerned and depressed. He is staring outside the window, staring at the golden rays of sun that seem to beam from the endless forest that surrounds the mansion.

"What's wrong, Dark? Something is troubling you, I can see it."

Dark continues to gaze out the window, not looking at Akira. Akira gets up off his bed and picks Dark up, rubbing his fingers across Dark's smooth head.

"What's wrong? I know you can't speak yet, but try to show me what is bothering you. Maybe I can help."

Dark's tired eyes peer up at Akira. Dark snorts and jumps out of Akira's arms. He dashes towards the closed door, scratching at it.

"Okay, okay, so you want out. Hang on."

Akira walks over to the door, turns the copper knob, and opens the door for Dark to get out. Dark does just that and takes a sharp right. Akira follows Dark with his eyes and notices he stops before a door. A door right next to his own room. The room containing Yukina. Dark looks back at Akira sadly. Akira gives Dark an uncertain look.

"I don't know, it might be a bad idea to go in there…"

Dark begins to whine softly, almost like a small puppy waiting to drink milk from its mother.

"Hey, don't give me that. I can't do anything for her anyway. I'll just get in the way of her recovery. Besides… She probably doesn't know who I am, considering she has amnesia…"

Dark starts to scratch the door gently. The door opens slowly by itself. Before Akira can react, Dark takes advantage of the moment and zips in the door's opened crack.

"Shit! Dark, you idiot! Get back here!"

It's no use. Dark has disappeared into Yukina's room.

"Damn it… Next time I'm not going to let him do this to me… I'm getting much too soft…"

Akira gulps and tiptoes quietly to Yukina's slightly opened door and peeks inside. She hears the sound of a young woman giggling inside. As Akira's eyes manage to get a closer look in the room, he notices that Dark is being pet on the head playfully by Yukina, who looks just fine and doesn't seem to be in a state of either fear or loss of memory. Dark is wagging his tail frantically and is chirping softly, enjoying the attention he is getting from Yukina. Akira calms a little and wonders if he should enter or not. Eventually, frustration nags at him long enough and he decides to enter the room. No more than two steps into the room, Yukina looks up at him. Her once happy face is now twisted in fright and she stops petting Dark. Dark's eyes widen slightly and he races out of the room the second Yukina screams.

"What the—Yukina? Hey!"

Yukina continues to scream and cowers in the corner of the room in dread. Her hands manage to grab many items that are on the dresser she is crouched next to and she tosses all the items at Akira.

"What the--? Yukina! It's just me, Akira! Stop that!"

No matter what Akira says, Yukina continues to toss item after item at Akira. Tears are streaming down her face and once she runs out of items to throw she stays motionless at the far side of the room, sobbing wildly and keeping her attention on Akira. It is almost like she is seeing someone else rather than seeing Akira himself.

Behind him, Akira hears footsteps rushing up the staircase. Miwako's head appears from the stairs and she makes it into the room, noticing the jumble of items scattered all over the floor, including some supplies that she used on Yukina just last night.

"Oh, dear… Mr. Tanaka, I'm going to have to ask you to leave this room."

"But I didn't… I didn't harm her in any way…"

"I know, but… Ms. Yukina… She's not in the right state of mind. Who knows how long it will be before she gains her memory back. Until then, I don't want you in here, for she might do something to herself that we will all regret."

Miwako shoos Akira out of Yukina's room and closes the door. Akira listens inside as he hears Miwako calming Yukina down, who is still crying.

"Bah! Who needs her anyway! Such a weak person... I don't need her! What the hell, I don't need anyone! I try to help out, but look what happens! And…"

Akira stomps back into his room.

"It's all…"

He slams the door.

"Because of…!"

Akira points his finger at Dark, who is standing shakily on Akira's bed.

"YOU!"

Dark makes a meeping sound, jumps off the bed, and hurries under it, cowering as far back as he can.

Akira breathes heavily and tries to calm down.

"What is wrong with me? Why am I so pissed? I don't normally gets so angry at such small things as this…"

Akira manages to cool down after opening his window and breathing in the fresh air several times. He then remembers Dark, who is still huddled under his bed, waiting to be punished at any given moment. Akira lies on his stomach and spots Dark at the far left, next to one of the legs of the bed. He motions to Dark, who walks, quivering in fright. As soon as Dark is within arms reach of Akira, Akira picks him from under the bed and places him on his bed, covering him with his blanket.

"You stay here. I'm going to investigate this mansion a bit more… And don't go messing around the window! I've had just about enough trouble this morning."

Akira smiles at Dark. Dark begins to relax and falls asleep as Akira leaves the room, going down the stairs to the dining room. Akira can't help but wonder what could have happened to Yukina to make her behave so strangely.

"And why does she keep saying that she killed someone? She couldn't of killed someone… Could she?"

**_NOCTURNE_**

_"It is better to have loved and lost than never to have lost at all." –Samuel Butler_


	21. Ch 20: Enter Hitokiri Battousai

_**NOCTURNE**_

Chapter XX (20): Enter Hitokiri Battousai

The man carries his baggage quietly through the town. The reverse-blade sword he carries confuses many who pass by him, who glance at the long sword with wonder. His long, crimson hair is tied with a small white strip. The tied hair sways gently from side to side, almost like a metronome, as the man walks on his Japanese-styled sandals, which are not heeled up, making them look more like brown flip-flops rather than sandals. As the man continues to walk along, minding his own business, he brushes into a young boy walking the opposite direction down the bustling dirt road of the small town. The wooden houses and restaurants make it look like an old-fashioned Western town rather than a beat-down Japanese city that was devastated years ago by a major revolution. The young boy continues running on his way, not minding the crimson-haired man's dull-white, dress-like clothing rubbing against his own. In fact, he doesn't even notice the man and keeps scampering down the dirt road recklessly. The strange man just smiles to himself and continues on his path back to a small dojo that, over a period of several weeks, has become quite popular with many young Japanese boys and girls, all of them wanting the techniques of that dojo.

The redheaded man wears a pink Japanese-style shirt that crisscrosses over itself, making it look almost like a kimono, except much shorter (almost like a "shirt form" of the kimono) and designed for men, as well as the dirty-white "dress" the man wears. In fact, everything he seems to wear is of Japanese style… except for the sword he carries on his left side (if you're in his point-of-view), which is strapped there on his "dress" by a small black latch that disappears into the rim of the clothing. The latch doesn't seem to bother the man at all as he bumps into several people by accident, apologizing to them for nearly knocking them over as he reminisces to himself about his past. The people, too, quickly apologize and keep moving on the busy road, trying to fall behind in the traffic of people that keep moving along. The man sighs shortly after he is shoved from behind by a very upset old man who looks very displeased for not being able to get past all these people who block his way from getting to his home. The old coot curses at the sword-bearing man in front of him for not being in such a rush as the folks who literally jog ahead of him. Before waiting for an answer, the old man pushes aside the red-haired man, making the man drop his small bag of food. Luckily, the food the man carries wasn't fragile or else it would've broken the second it hit the surface of the rocky, sandy-like ground. As the man bends over to pick up his small package, a small, tan patch on his left cheek slowly starts to peel off. The man notices this and slaps his left hand over the thin patch, sticking it back on his face. The man then quickly grabs his item he dropped and continues in a hurried pace back to the dojo he stays at.

The man has no distinct features on his face except for the patch, which blends completely with his skin tone, making it seem like there's nothing there on his face at all and his pink-red eyes that match very well with his shirt and hair. Underneath the patch, however, is a large cross-shaped scar. If anyone were to see the scar, they would surely panic and send armies of officers after him, for in the past, this man was a very well known murderer of many. Because of the enormous amount of manslaughters, he was given the name "Hitokiri Battousai", meaning "man-slayer" or "master assassin". Indeed, the name suited him well, for he kept his rein of terror going for a long time during the Revolution that was occurring during that dynasty. But… For some reason known to only a chosen few, the legendary Battousai ended his killing spree surprisingly and was never heard from since. He was said to still be around, though, and people all over the land claimed to be him, killing others and even using the special style that the Battousai used: The "Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu" style. Because of these outbreaks, many officers have been on the edge and have been tracking down the Battousai, but it has been said that he is now living in a different town, so the once-panicked town calmed a little, but everyone knew that the Battousai was bond to drop by again. But… unknown to all of them, however, the legendary man-slayer is still among them, except he is now no longer the killer he was back in those days. Because of an incident that change the course of his life, Himura Kenshin has put his days as the slayer of many men to an end and has settled down in the small dojo of Kamiya Kaoru, who teaches the style of "Kamiya Katsushin Ryu" to her pupils. A while back, there was a sinister man taking on both the name of Battousai AND Ms. Kaoru's style, therefore breaking apart her dojo and only leaving her with very few (if any) students left to teach her style to. Although her dojo was nearly shut down because of that catastrophe, Kaoru pushed onward and eventually her dojo came back up to speed and the truth about the man who used her technique was persecuted, thus putting both her and her style in the positive style again.

The red-haired man named Kenshin manages to change his course on the one-way-set road and takes a hard left through the crowd of sweaty, agitated, tired people.

About three minutes later, after passing through various alleys of buildings and dodging rabid canines intent on taking a chunk out of his legs, Kenshin makes it to the front entrance of the dojo. There are two large wooden pillars holding up a uniquely designed piece of wood, which stretches from the tops of both pillars, that is in the shape of a strange wave. If you were to look directly at this large entrance from a good enough distance, on the sides of the pillars are red gates that stretch left and right, and about a hundred or so feet outward, the gate walls take a 90 degree turn away from you and then make another 90 degree turn into each other, making a large perimeter around the land of the small dojo. Kenshin smiles to himself and steps through the entrance. Although originally a large set of double doors used to be in the entrance, they were taken down for cleaning and fixing up, for they were rather old and beaten down like the town that Kenshin was just previously in.

Kenshin walks through the front doors of the dojo. The first thing that hits him is the smell of a magnificent meal. Kenshin breathes in the great tasting air and seems to be transfixed by the smell, following the direction of the heavenly scent as if being pulled along by an invisible thread. As Kenshin nears the smell, he hears the sound of someone bustling through the door he is about to enter. Kenshin opens up the door and sees no one in the room. The sounds that he heard, the smells that he smelt all disappear in an instant as he steps into the darkened room.

"Hello? Ms. Kaoru, are you in here?"

No one answers from deeper within the dark room. Kenshin, who is still holding his bag of food, puts it on a table nearby and clicks on a light nearby next to the door. Before he can do this, however, the door slams in front of his face, sending him reeling backward. He manages to catch himself, fortunately, and pulls out his reverse-blade sword, preparing to face the person (or thing) that shut the door without his consent. The room id completely silent and Kenshin can't hear the sounds of anyone else in the small dojo. '_This is very strange_,' Kenshin thinks to himself. '_Normally Ms. Kaoru would be teaching classes at this time. Maybe it was cancelled? No… She wouldn't cancel a class… She loves teaching it and wouldn't stop even if she got sick… What if something happened when I was away? I was just gone for one day to get my sword renewed and to get this bag of food… Where are they at?_' These thoughts pass through Kenshin's head about as fast as they come to him. Fear for Kaoru's safety suddenly grasps hold of Kenshin and he starts to become angry.

"Who is in here? Show yourself to me!"

There is no response from the cold darkness of the room. Kenshin turns away from the dark and looks back at the door, which is just several feet away from him. Kenshin tries to turn the knob in an attempt to open the door, but cannot do so. He then slams his foot into the door. No affect whatsoever. Kenshin, rather surprised, decides to use his sword. The blade slices down the door faster than lightning.

The attack did nothing to the door.

"What type of magic is this? This is not usual, that it is not…"

The bewildered Kenshin then hears the sound of chuckling deep within the room. Kenshin looks towards the sound of the chuckling and steps forward once. Although the room is very long and not very narrow, there are still many items clustered in the room, making it almost impossible to maneuver in the room without ramming into something. Chairs, miniature tables, books, pans, pots, clothing, even leftover food is left in this lonely little storage room.

The chuckling deep within the bowels of the room stops and Kenshin starts to make out the presence of another being in the cramped room.

"Who are you? Where is Ms. Kaoru?"

The person in the room turns on a light, which blinds Kenshin temporarily. When Kenshin is able to see again, he sees that about halfway down the room is a strange man wearing a large black coat unmade of at this period in time. The man wears black glasses over his eyes (obviously shades, but Kenshin has never seen them before) and the man also has a long, thin scar under his right eye that extends from about his nose almost to his right ear (if you were in the man's point-of-view, it would be under his right eye; if you were in Kenshin's point-of-view, it would be at Kenshin's left under the man's eye). The strange man has charcoal-colored hair and blood-red eyes that stand out on his face more than his scar. The eyes seem to glisten like stars, almost as if they were looking right into the very being of Kenshin. Although Kenshin cannot make out the lower body of the man because of the table the man is standing behind, it is safe to say that the man is not armed and does not look about ready to fight.

The man smiles evilly, making Kenshin wonder what this guy is doing in Kaoru's dojo and why Kaoru isn't around.

"Who are you? I've never seen you before."

"Did I startle you? If so, I apologize. That wasn't my intention to surprise you."

'_Who is this man?_' Kenshin thinks as he asks the man his name.

"My name? You want to know? Fine then. You can call me Keiji. I know your name, Himura Kenshin."

"How? How do you know my name? I've never seen you around here before, so you can't possibly have asked someone from here about me."

"Oh really? Well, it's rather strange how torture can get something out of a person, right?"

"What was THAT?"

Kenshin feels his anger jump and he clutches his sword with both hands in anger.

"Hey, chill out, Kenshin. I'm only joking around."

"You make up cruel jokes, that you do."

"Yeah, sorry. I forgot that your type isn't used to mine."

"Your type? What are you talking about?"

"Bah, let's not talk about me, how about we talk about you, Mr. Himura Kenshin? How has life been here in this little dojo of yours?"

"This… This isn't my dojo. It is Ms. Kaoru, and I haven't seen her around, that I haven't."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that."

"You wouldn't happen to know where she is, would you?"

"Me? Of course not. How would I know where a "Miss Kaoru" is in this large hut of yours? Heh… What a silly question. I just got here about… Oh, say a day ago?"

"And what have you been doing here?"

"I've just been exploring… And I've learned so many interesting things about you, Mr. Himura Kenshin. Like for one how you seem to be living here in this dojo and how you have that reverse-blade sword of yours, and how you use the special style of "Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu" and how you were the legendary Hitokiri Battousai—WHOOPS. I didn't mean to let THAT one slip."

Kenshin's eyes widen slightly in astonishment. The strange man named Keiji chuckles to himself and closes his eyes, obviously proud of himself for this information he is giving out.

"Where did you learn that?"

"Oh, it wasn't that hard, not that hard at all. In fact it was so easy that I could have done it with my eyes closed!"

Keiji laughs out loud, which confuses Kenshin greatly.

"Okay, I've had my laugh. Now, Kenshin, you want to see your Kaoru?"

"Yes."

"Okay then… Come on over here."

"I'd be more comfortable if you release her to me, thank you."

"Hmmmmm… Well then, that would be a problem, now wouldn't it?"

The once-proud look on Keiji's face suddenly twists to a total madman as he lunges at Kenshin and grabs ahold of his head, crushing it with his bear hands. Kenshin screams in pain and manages to pull himself together as the man starts to literally suck the energy from Kenshin's body. Before Kenshin can use his sword, however, Keiji pulls away and jumps on top of one of the tables near the door, smiling like a crazy person would.

"How did that feel, Kenshin? Did you enjoy that?"

Kenshin is still out of breath and collapses onto one knee, dropping his sword and holding his throbbing head. At the same time, it feels like Keiji did more than just try to squeeze the living daylights out of his head. It feels like a large part of him is missing.

"What… What did you do to me, you?"

"I didn't do to much… I just took something from you."

"What? A hair or something?"

"Heh, you're a funny guy, you know that Kenshin? Now I will show you a special trick of mine that I've been trying to perfect for a while now… Kudos to my buddy Kaiser X for teaching me this fancy little trick!"

Keiji starts to clap his hands together, almost like a small child that is clapping at an amusing show. Between the clapping, a gray mist can be seen being made. During every clap, the mist becomes larger and larger between Keiji's hands. Although the mist totally disappears between Keiji's clasped hands, whenever he lifts them to clap again, the mist is larger than when it was just about half a second ago. Keiji then stops clapping and seems to release the mist into the room. The gray mist floats to the ceiling, Kenshin watching both the fog's movement and Keiji's as well. The crazed-out Keiji then puts his fists before him and separates them, almost as if he were going to punch them at each other. A small spark goes off between the hands, which attracts the fog from the ceiling, sending between the two fists. A large bolt of lightning strikes between Keiji's separated fists, going from side to side as if not satisfied with one fist and then moving back to the other except repeatedly. Right when the bolt begins to shrink, Keiji slams both his fists into each other, causing a small burst of energy to jump out between his knuckles. Blood drips from between his knuckles as his hands literally light up with energy. All Kenshin does is watch as this continues.

"Now… FOR THE FINALE!"

With a look of complete satisfaction, Keiji starts to shake violently. His body shudders as if he were cold except much worse. It's almost like his body was having a quake within him. The table he is standing on is totally unaffected by this and stands as firm as when he first jumped on it. Keiji's feet suddenly lift off the table, making him able to hover in the air, almost like unseen wires were lifting him. Kenshin's mouth literally hits the floor as Keiji levitates upward. The second Keiji's head touches the wooden ceiling above him, a light almost as bright as the sun erupts from his body, causing him to scream in pleasure. Kenshin shields his eyes.

Moments later, Kenshin opens his eyes… to come face to face with himself. Kenshin literally jumps back, but his reflection does not. It stares him straight in the face with a look so evil that Kenshin could actually feel the look of death this Kenshin was giving him. Keiji stands up behind this Kenshin, which is tinted completely in black, making it look like a Kenshin that was in a dimly lit room.

"Well? How do you like him? Isn't it magnificent? And this is only the second time I've tried this trick!"

Keiji has the look of contentment as he looks down upon Kenshin from behind this mirror image of Kenshin.

"Who… Who is this? He looks just like me, that he does."

"Why, Kenshin, don't you recognize him? That IS you."

"What are you saying?"

"This is you… Or should I say it used to. You remember your alter ego, the Hitokiri Battousai? This is him, except he doesn't have your weak self merged with him. He's nothing but one hundred percent pure man-slaying evil."

Keiji's smile broadens as he sees the look of complete shock on Kenshin's pale face as he looks back at his old self in the flesh. This Kenshin, instead of having the pink-red eyes like Kenshin does, has golden eyes that look dead, almost as if they had no soul in them. This soulless look sends a chill down Kenshin's spine.

"Well? How long are you two going to just stand there and look at each other? Why not introduce yourself PROPERLY?"

As Keiji says this, the "Hitokiri Battousai" lashes forward with his sword, just barely missing Kenshin's neck as he dodges backward, leaping to his feet, holding onto his sword, ready to do battle.

"I think I'll leave you two to each other."

As Keiji says this, he slowly disappears into thin air. Kenshin manages to yell out in time.

"Wait! What did you do with Ms. Kaoru?"

Keiji laughs again and responds quickly.

"If you really wish to know, get yourself outside… Unless, of course, Hitokiri Battousai over there kills you before you can do that."

Keiji laughs again as he disappears into thin air, leaving the two Kenshin's in the room to standoff against each other. The door that Kenshin is standing next to slowly opens by itself, revealing a crack to the hallway outside the door. Kenshin moves hesitantly towards the open door, keeping his attention fixed on his alter ego, who stares right back at him with eyes that are hungry to see Kenshin howling in pain.

Kenshin reaches the door after what feels like an eternity and dashes through it, leaving his alter ego in the room alone.

Kenshin rushes as fast as his quick legs can carry him. He busts through the weak doors of the dojo and finds himself outside on the narrow, stone pathway leading both away and towards the dojo entrance. Kenshin looks around, snapping his head from side to side, trying to find either Kaoru or Keiji.

"WHERE ARE YOU, KEIJI? SHOW YOURSELF TO ME!"

Kenshin then hears what sounds like the large buzzing of a bee. The sound then begins to whirl, almost like a spinning propeller. The sound he hears is coming from above his head. Kenshin lifts his head and sees high in the sun-setting sky a large, gray orb with three large spikes sticking out of its sides. The orb continues to lower. The sheer size of the sphere is then revealed to Kenshin as it levitates just above the dojo, making it look like a large rock to this massive gray orb. Kenshin nearly drops his sword as he looks at this amazing thing that flies just above his head, its shadow totally engulfing the area below it. A small light is seen streaking down from the ship's belly, landing almost on top of Kenshin. The beam then starts to shrink into human size, shift shaping into the form of a young woman. The woman has purple hair that is tied around her head and lifted upward, giving it a feathered look. The woman also has eyes that match her hair and soft facial features that give her both a look of a tough woman but, at the same time, the features of a much gentler, loving side. The woman wears a long black dress made of a fabric that hasn't been seen in this period of time and she also wears the style of sandals that Kenshin wears. Kenshin stares in awe at the woman in front of him and whispers something.

"Ms. Kaoru…? What happened to you?"

The woman ignores Kenshin's question and her expressionless face then shifts to that of terror and confusion. "Kaoru," as Kenshin calls her, starts to cry and plead to Kenshin with a shaky voice.

"Kenshin, you must help me! They've kidnapped me with Yahiko and Sanosuke as well! Please, you have to help us! They're doing such horrible things to us… All these tests… They keep on hurting us even when we tell them to stop! Please, Kenshin, you must--!"

Kaoru is cut off as her body turns into a white light that zips back up to the belly of the flying globe. Kenshin watches as the light enters the spaceship and disappears from view. The whirring sound of the ship continues to roar above Kenshin as the ship beings to twirl around very, very slowly. Then, out of nowhere, Kenshin feels something rushing towards him. Kenshin moves to his left, but feels a pain in his arm as he sees his alter ego appear before him, ready to battle. Kenshin holds onto his injured arm as blood forces itself out of the wound through Kenshin's fingers, soaking into his shirt.

"You again…"

Kenshin's alter ego stares back at Kenshin motionless, waiting for Kenshin to move. Kenshin releases his arm and grasps hold of his sword, bringing it upward some, almost to his chest area, setting it horizontally, the swords tip facing Kenshin's alter ego. The "Hitokiri Battousai" does the same. Both of them prepare to use the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu upon each other, and only one of them will survive the aftermath of the blow.

Kenshin takes a few steps forward, as does his clone. Then, in the blink of an eye, the two race towards each other at a speed much faster than the fastest person on the earth could ever run to.

The sound of swords slicing human flesh is heard, and someone screams in pain.

A body falls to the ground.

The "Hitokiri Battousai" lands on his feet, looking totally unharmed. Several meters behind him is Kenshin, collapsed on the ground. Kenshin is holding his stomach, which now has a huge gash on it that spreads horizontally. The cut is damaging, but not as deep as it looks. Blood continues to soak into Kenshin's clothing as Kenshin's unconscious body lays there, his sword about to land to the ground, which fell out of his hands when he was struck with his clone's deadly attack. As the sword hits the stone path, "Hitokiri Battousai" gazes upward to the spaceship and looks back at Kenshin's sprawled body. Then he notices something strange as he notices his vision becomes disoriented. Slowly, one eye seems to be moving up and the other moving downward, as if they were shifting spaces on his head. A few seconds later, half of "Hitokiri Battousai" falls to the ground and blood literally flows from the body like a river, while the other half remains standing for a brief second before falling to the ground, sending the insides falling out onto the ground, staining the stones with blood of Kenshin's fallen clone… and Kenshin himself.

**_NOCTURNE_**

"_In a mad world only the mad are sane." –Akira Kurosawa_


End file.
